"This isn't funny, Gabriel!" Castiel shouted, the frustration clear in his voice. Gabriel had mocked Castiel with his crush on Dean again. How Gabriel found out, Cas might never know.

It was annoying though, constantly being confronted with his love for Dean when his feelings were not reciprocated. Castiel had known from the start, Dean would never fall for him like he did for Dean. It made his heart ache, like a hundred spears were jammed into his chest at the same time. It was painful. A lot more painful than he had expected. He was an angel, yes, but he didn't feel like that. He hasn't been feeling like that for a long time. Maybe it was the time he had spent with the Winchester that made him more human. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing, except for the confusion of his feelings. The pain he felt when Dean picked up another girl, a pain he learned to describe as jealousy. It was awful, but he couldn't help it. He knew about the sexuality crisis, and the stern words of John Winchester. That didn't help at all, it only disappointed him further, knowing how out of reach Dean actually was.

"Listen, little bro, just tell him. What is the worst that can happen?" Gabriel asked getting frustrated too. He had to watch the two dance around each other for years without either of them making a move. Maybe it was time to take matters in his own hands. He was the prankster after all.

"He might hear me," Castiel whispered, staring at his shoes. If angels could blush, he would definitely be blushing right now.

"It's okay, Cassie. I will help you," Gabriel smirked, his hand already moving to snap his fingers; the usual thing he did before using his grace. There was no stopping him now and Castiel knew it wouldn't end well for him.

"Gabriel, please, whatever you are planning to do to me… please don't do it," Castiel begged, taking a few steps back. He won't escape this, he knew that in the back of his mind. If Gabriel wanted something, it was going to happen. No stopping him.

"Too late for that Cassie," Gabriel smirked and snapped his fingers.

"Meow," Dean's head shot up, his eyes inspecting the library. He thought he heard a cat, but he might be wrong. "Meow!" Dean heard again. This time he's sure it was a cat, it couldn't be anything else. Dean abandoned his research and searched around for the cat instead. Dean drew his gun and took the safety off just in case. The weird part? He wasn't sniffling or coughing like he normally would with cats around. He was allergic, couldn't handle the fur.

The meowing seemed to come from upstairs. Dean barely heard it, the meow was very faint. Luckily for him, it didn't stop. The cat sounded distressed, almost panicky. Dean pointed the gun in front of him, walking through the hallway of bedrooms. The sound was less faint, the closer he got to Castiel's room.

What if Cas brought home a cat? Dean thought, sighing deeply. Cas would definitely do that. It wasn't a secret Castiel was fond of animals, especially cats. It drove Dean insane, not just Castiel constantly begging for a furry friend. No, the sadness and disappointment in his eyes when he had to tell him no. Except for the fact that Dean was allergic, they were not home often enough to take care of a pet. It wouldn't be a good living situation for the animal, it would be cruel.

Dean slowly opened the door, his gun still firmly in his hands, ready to shoot. His eyes instantly focus on a small, black, furry ball laying on Cas's bed. Dean dares to come closer, lowering his gun when the cat meows again. Dean takes in the cat's appearance, when his breath catches. The eyes of the cat, the color, it was way too familiar.

"Cas?" Dean asked, surprised when the cat let out a meow again. The deep ocean blue matched Castiel's eyes perfectly.

"What happened to you Cas?" Dean asked, concerned, before realizing Cas is a cat and he can't talk. Dean nearly face-palmed himself and by the looks of it, Castiel agreed that he is kind of an idiot.

"Isn't he cute?" A voice suddenly said behind him. Dean lets out a not very manly yelp and draws his gun again.

"Gabriel? You did this?"

"How are you still surprised every time something like this happens? Aren't you used to it by now?" Gabriel laughed, a sparkle of mischief in his eyes. He was right, of course he was right, even if Dean didn't want to admit it. Gabriel was known for pulling pranks on people, well, what he calls pranks. Murdering Dean a hundred times wasn't a prank, it was sadistic.

"Gabriel turn him back," Dean said, his voice dangerously low. However, Gabriel wasn't threatened by this. Instead, he smirked. Gabriel was way too amused by this.

"Are you mad I changed your boyfriend into a cat?" Gabriel teased, laughing fully now. Maybe he thought it was funny, or maybe it was because of the massive bitch face Dean pulled.

"Gabriel! Turn him back or I swear to-," Dean started, nearly shouting the words in Gabriel's smug face.

"You have to catch me first, lover boy," Gabriel said, a small smile dancing on his lips and snapped himself away.

"That son of a bitch," Dean sighed, walking over to Cas and picking him up. There was no way that he could leave him alone. Not like this, not when he's vulnerable. Anything could happen with such a tiny animal.

Dean walked downstairs, Castiel safely cradled in his arms. He searched around for Sam and eventually found him in the kitchen, eating a salad. Dean scrunched up his nose at the thought of eating rabbit food. Give him burgers and pie and he was happy. He wouldn't be able to live with that green stuff.

"Dean, is that a cat? I thought you were allergic?" Sam asked, bewildered, slowly lowering his fork back onto the plate in front of him.

"Gabriel turned Cas into a cat and I think he made sure I can bear the symptoms," Dean replied with a tight jaw, anger flashing in his eyes. Thinking of all the things he would do to Gabriel once he found him.

"Well, that is awfully nice of him," Sam mumbled, looking down at the kitten in Deans arms. The kitten seemed very comfortable in Dean's arms, almost snuggling into his chest. The blue eyes slowly opening and closing, as if he was on the verge of sleep. The kitten did look very cute, it was like a small fluffy jelly bean.

"We have to find him, Sammy."

"I know Dean, calm down, it's going to be okay," Sam said gently, trying to be reassuring but obviously failing.

"Calm down? Cas is a cat!" Dean shouted, rubbing his hand over his mouth in frustration and concern. Dean's sudden loud voice startled Cas, making him jump from Dean's arm onto the ground and under the table.

"Shit! I'm sorry, Cas. I didn't mean to scare you," Dean said, his tone filled with guilt. He was just mad at Gabriel and worried. What if Gabriel didn't change him back? He wouldn't be that cruel, would he? It is his brother after all. Maybe there was something they were supposed to figure out. Everything Gabriel had done so far was with a deeper meaning behind it.

"Come here Cas, I won't hurt you," Dean tried softly, crouching in front of the table. Coaxing Castiel from under the table would be the best option in this case. He couldn't scare him again, the terrified look in his eyes was enough for one time, thank you very much.

Hesitantly Cas walked from under the table towards Dean, his little paws making a ticking sound against the wooden floors. When he reached Dean he did something a bit unexpected. Cas rubbed his little head against Dean's leg, purring softly. Dean's eyes widen with shock, but he smiled, gently picking the kitten up.

"You take care of Cas, I'll find Gabe." Sam smiled knowingly, walking away when he received a short nod from his brother. The one who was very occupied with a small kitten at the moment.

Sam drove around for a while now and still no sign of Gabe. Truth is, Sam had no clue where to start looking. Gabe being a trickster and all that made it hard to find. He knew that this was a bad idea, if Gabe doesn't want to be found, he isn't going to be found. He could just snap himself anywhere he wanted, well fly, but the snap was a dramatic effect. The only reason why he was driving around in the cold, with a broken heater, was because of Dean. He had to give Dean and Castiel some time together. Maybe his idiot brother would finally realize he missed the real Cas. The very Cas he was in love with. It was obvious to everybody except from those two.

The way Dean looked at Cas, like he was Dean's rock. As if Dean would drown if he didn't have Cas around. With Cas his brother is relaxed and at ease, more relaxed than he has ever seen him. Honestly, he deserves it. After all of those years, sleeping with every good looking woman he could find and his break up with Lisa, Dean really deserved a love like this. He just hopes that the two finally confess other than just staring at each other and mentally undressing each other in their minds.

The problem was, Dean keeps denying his love for Cas. He's probably afraid they won't accept him for who he is or Cas doesn't love him back. Either way, it was bullshit and he knew it too. It was Dean's fear of rejection from Cas and maybe even his dad. Sam could remember the stern tone of John Winchester, telling his boys they should be man. John was fine with gay people, only if they weren't his sons. This left an emotional scar on Dean, a wound that hasn't properly healed yet.

Sam had many times to convince Dean that he is okay with it, but Dean doesn't listen. Dean would pretend he didn't hear him and walked away, ignoring Sam's pleas for him to come back. Sam had given up on talking with Dean about this and he didn't have the chance to talk to Cas. They have to figure it out on their own.

It was getting colder, Sam bravely tried to bear it for a while, but after some time, he couldn't even move his fingers anymore. It was time to get back to the bunker and check on Dean and Cas, then get some coffee and heat up.

Sam turned off the engine once he arrived at the entrance and decided to call Dean. There was no answer, so Sam quickly opened the door and hurried inside. When he walked through the door, a tiny black cat ran past his legs and through the door. Sam tried to go after it, immediately recognizing the cat as Castiel. But he couldn't keep up and he quickly lost sight of him. It was already dark outside and the color of his fur wasn't helping.

Dean nodded, agreeing that Sam would be the best person to search for Gabriel. They were sort of friends, while Dean didn't like him that much. He wasn't over the fact that Gabriel killed him a lot of times, putting Sam through that and now turning Cas into a cat.

When Dean heard the front door close, he decided to bring Castiel to his room. In that way, it wouldn't be too hard to keep an eye out and Dean didn't need to carry Cas the whole time. Not that he minded very much, Castiel was very light after all, his room just sounded more comfortable. He put Cas on his bed, the small kitten staring up at him with those big blue eyes of his. Now, they were even bigger than usual. Dean could get lost in the color, the depths of the ocean blue pulling him in and not letting go. From the moment Dean laid eyes upon Castiel during their first meeting, his eyes captivated him. He decided that this exact shade of blue would be his favorite color, not that he was going to admit that out loud.

These very thoughts used to scare him, terrify him, thinking that he wasn't the manly man John wanted him to be. After a while, he didn't have a choice but to accept them. The butterflies he felt every time Castiel just looked at him, let alone touch him, were impossible to ignore. It would be lying to himself and Dean wasn't going to be doing that. However, confessing his feeling, that was a whole other story. He wouldn't be able to handle the inevitable rejection he was forced to face if he told Cas. Losing his best friend over a crush wasn't worth the risk. Even when he knew it was more than just a crush.

Castiel flipped on his back, displaying the black fur that covered his tummy. Dean knew this meant that Cas felt comfortable in his presence, he saw a documentary about the behavior of cats once. It was a late night in the bunker when he couldn't sleep, so he turned on his TV, hoping a boring documentary would help him get some shut-eye. The documentary wasn't as boring as he expected, it was quite intriguing actually.

Dean propped a pillow against the headboard of his bed, making himself comfortable. Castiel padded over almost instantly, standing on top of one leg with a slight head tilt, not knowing what to do now. Dean smiled softly and reached out a hand, feeling the soft fur beneath his fingertips. He felt Castiel relax and walk up further until Dean picked him up and lays him on his chest. Dean slumped down more, so Castiel could lay down without Dean having to keep him upright the whole time. A pleased purr came from the kitten as Dean kept petting him. The blue eyes slowly closed and within minutes Castiel was sleeping again.

The sleeping cat gave him time to think. It was not a secret that Castiel and Dean shared "a more profound bond", not that they ever acted on it. And Dean was seriously doubting Castiel would feel the same way. Was it really worth the shot?

Dean could damage this friendship they had been building for years by saying those three words. I love you. It was hard for Dean to say those words, even to Sam, his own brother. But with Cas, it felt right. Like he was meant to say those words for the rest of his life. And looking down at the sleeping kitten on his chest, made him miss the angel even more. He wished he was lying here with Cas, the normal Cas, not the cat version of him. Yes, the kitten was cute, but he missed his angel.

Suddenly the deafening sound of Dean's phone ringing startled Cas from his sleep. Dean could feel the claws extending in his chest, probably drawing blood. He tried not to flinch, but it wouldn't have mattered anyway. Castiel was too frightened by the sound, he shot up and jumped away, somehow ending up on the nightstand and knocking over the photo frame. It contained Dean's favorite picture, the one of him and Mary, both smiling at the camera. The glass of the frame scattered in a million broken pieces on the floor. Dean stared at it with a shocked expression, not noticing the fear in Castiel's eyes as he knew what he has done. Even in cat form Castiel still recognized things, like Dean, Sam, the bunker and that photograph. Dean had told him about it once, he knew it was important to him.

Castiel couldn't bear to see the anger that would follow when Dean comes down from his shock. It was Castiel's fault after all. He should be punished for this, let Dean's anger wash over him, he deserved it. Yet, he did what his instinct told him to do.

Run.

Just as Sam opened the door, Castiel flew outside, not looking back. Not even when Sam called his name, he just ran, hoping the darkness of the sky would camouflage him. He finally relaxed when he couldn't hear the sounds of Sam's footsteps anymore, his running slowing down to walking. It was getting colder, it made him want to curl up into a ball to stay warm. So that's what he did.

Dean watched the black kitten running out of his room before it hit him.

Shit.

"Cas?" Dean shouted, trying to run after him while avoiding the glass splinters on the floor. "Cas!" He yelled again before colliding with his ginormous brother at the front door.

Dean? What just happened?" Sam asked, concerned, his eyes darting between Dean's flustered face and the open front door. The cold wind from outside left shivers down Dean's back, it worried Dean even more when he realized how cold it must be for Cas. He was outside and had nothing to protect him from the cold except his fur. "Was that Cas?" Sam asked, carefully watching his brother who still not responded.

"He knocked over that frame next to my bed when my phone rang," Dean explained while Sam nodded, he knew which one Dean was talking about. He had seen that picture before, multiple times. He liked that picture, it showed how great of a bond his mom and his brother had. Sam wasn't jealous, he couldn't remember her. She looked familiar when he dug up those old pictures again and he had loved to see her when they had traveled back in time and in heaven and during that one hunt a few years back. But it wasn't the same as the bond Dean had with her and he knew it. "Cas probably thought I would be mad or something and he ran away."

"Are you going to search around?"

"Yes, of course I am Sammy. What did you expect?" Dean snapped, regretting raising his voice immediately. It wasn't Sam's fault he was just worried about Cas.

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Sam said gently, a hand touching Dean's shoulder in reassurance. "You go look for him and I will pray to Gabe. Maybe he will come down and help us."

Dean left with a nod and a stomach in tangles. What if Cas dies out there? He could easily get hit by a car or freeze to death or something. One thing was sure, though.

He had to find Cas.

"Gabe, please come down here. We need your help," Sam prayed walking around in his room. It always works for Dean so why not give it a shot. It's not like he had many options here. Perhaps Gabriel wanted to help if he knew it was about Cas. You can say a lot about the archangel, but he clearly cares for his little brother. A thing Sam found quite endearing. It wasn't time for feelings now, this was about Cas. "Gabe, please, Cas might be in danger.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Samantha praying to me. That's a new one. I'm not complaining though," Gabriel smirked, appearing right in front of him. "Now, what was that thing you said about my baby brother?"

Sam averted his eyes, unable to look at Gabriel and tell him that he was the one who put Castiel in danger. He wanted Cas back, not only because he saw the angel as one of his best friends, also because of Dean. Sam decided he might as well tell Gabe, he was ought to find out anyway and every chance he might have had with him would be ruined. Sam realized he was in love with Gabe a few months back. Gabriel finally returned from his hiding place, wherever that was, and appeared right in front of them in a motel room they were staying at. It was a hunt far from the bunker, so they didn't have an option and had to stay in, yet again, a dusty motel room. After that day Gabriel frequently showed up, saying hi or helping on a hunt. One day, everything changed. They were just discussing the next move on their current hunt when Sam froze. The light of the bunker had hit Gabe perfectly, his eyes shone and Sam felt butterflies fluttering around in his stomach. That's when he knew he had fallen for the archangel.

"I called Dean, Cas got scared and he broke something," Sam explained, trying to summarize the story. "Cas was scared Dean would be mad, so he ran out of the door when I got inside. It tried to run after him, but…"

"Hey, Sam, look at me," Gabriel said, his voice surprisingly soft and soothing. It eased Sam's mind, the tension leaving his body. "It's not your fault, okay? We'll get him back."

"Thanks, Gabe."

Gabriel smiled softly, his warm breath fanning over Sam's face. He didn't know when or how they got this close, but he wasn't complaining. Gabriel leaned in even closer, making Sam shudder, goosebumps rising on his skin. Maybe this wasn't the best time to do this, but Gabe was so close and Sam's inner voice screamed at him to take that jump and finally kiss him. So he did. He took the jump and was ready to let himself fall, knowing Gabriel would be there; falling with him.

Dean was driving for over an hour now, trying his hardest to search for Castiel. It was hard though, the night was dark, no star in sight. Dean occasionally stepped out of the car with a flashlight, thinking he saw Cas. It never was. Dean was tired and hungry and he just wanted Cas back. His restless mind overflowing with worry wasn't helping either. Castiel could be anywhere, he could be in a dangerous situation and there was nothing Dean could do to change that. A ringing sound broke him out of his thoughts. He immediately picked up when he read "Sam" on the caller ID, he wouldn't call unless it was important.

"Have you found him yet?" Sam asked once Dean picked up, his voice a bit too cheery for the situation.

"No, Cas is still MIA," Dean replied sighing. Even his usual classic rock wasn't able to ease his mind.

"Good news, Gabe will change him back."

"I'll be there in ten."

Dean hasn't forgiven Gabriel yet, he was the one who caused this in the first place. He still didn't understand why, what would Cas being a cat do anything good? On the other hand, Gabriel probably never meant for it to go this far. Maybe he just wanted to prank somebody? Dean noticed the way Gabriel looked at Cas, it was the same way he looked at Sam. Gabriel loved his brother and wouldn't hurt him on purpose. But that doesn't make things right, not entirely.

"Sam?" Dean yelled as he opened the door of the bunker. There was no time to lose now, they found a solution and he wanted Cas back. Dean wasn't a patient person and in this moment, he didn't care. "Sammy!"

Sam came out of his bedroom, his hair ruffled and his cheeks flushed. Gabriel appeared behind him, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Before you say anything, I know how you feel about Gabe," Sam started a bit nervously as he tried to avoid Dean's hard stare. "But we really like each other."

"I'm happy for you, I really am," Dean stated, rubbing his hand over his mouth. "You deserve it man, especially with this life. Are you sure?"

"Yes, I am."

"Then I'll try to get past this feud. But two things Gabriel," Dean said, his tone cold and his stare intense. "One: you will change Cas back,"

"Of course, Castiel is my baby bro," Gabriel said, holding his hands up.

"Two: hurt my brother and you're dead," Dean finished, his voice low and threatening.

"If I hurt him I will hand you the blade myself," Gabriel stated, his voice laced with a seriousness that was very rare for the angel. Dean nodded approvingly and raised his eyebrows, waiting for Gabriel to snap his fingers and fly them to Cas. Instead, with the snap of his fingers, Castiel's sleeping form is lying in front of them. Castiel; not a cat but back to normal.

Dean let out a sigh of relief before kneeling down next to the angel. He instantly recognized the old, gray ACDC shirt Cas was currently wearing. He used to love that shirt, he still did, but it was too small for him. It's a bit too big on Castiel's lean yet still muscular frame. Dean didn't have time to gush over him as Castiel stirred in his sleep. He let out a small yawn, but fell asleep again right away. Dean smiled softly before picking him up, bridal style, and carrying him to his room. Castiel didn't have his own as he is an angel and therefore doesn't need sleep, however, his grace must have been weakened by Gabriel's trick. Maybe the cat thing hasn't worn off yet either.

Castiel was not too heavy, Dean could carry him without too much straining of his muscles. As soon as they got through the door, Dean gently placed Cas on the bed and covered him with his duvet.

Dean gives him one last glance before walking out of the room and slowly closing the door fearing Castiel might wake up. He listened closely for a few moments before deciding Castiel was still asleep. That was until…

"Dean?" Castiel called out, his voice distressed. Dean immediately opened the door and practically ran to his side.

"What's wrong, Cas?" Dean asked, his hand gently stroking Castiel's shoulder in reassurance.

"I must apologize, Dean," Castiel started, his voice wavering. He looked like he was on the verge of tears and Dean couldn't handle it anymore. He wrapped the distraught angel in a tight hug, his fingers tracing Castiel's spine.

"For what, Cas? You've done nothing wrong."

"The photograph, I knew how much it meant to you."

"It's fine, Cas," Dean chuckled, cupping Castiel's face in his hands. He wiped the fallen tear with his thumb, offering Cas a small smile. "I'm not mad and the photo isn't broken, only the frame is."

Castiel smiled back, a sleepy grin that made the butterflies in Dean's stomach flutter up. They stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, listening to the sound of Sam and Gabriel laughing about something in the room across from Dean's.

"Can I ask you something, Cas?"

"Yes, Dean?"

"Why are you wearing my shirt?" Dean asked. He had been wondering about this since he saw him and it nagged him. Not that he minded, but why his? Why would Castiel change his usual trench coat and suit for his clothes?

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cas said, probably blushing if he could. Instead, he looked embarrassed as if he was caught doing something that he shouldn't. "It looked rather comfortable. I'll change my attire if it upsets you."

"Don't," Dean said quickly, his voice steady and sure. "You look better in it anyway."

Castiel beamed at him, his toothy grin too much to handle. Dean blushed deeply, the crimson color spreading to his neck.

Castiel inched closer, inspecting Dean from head to toe. It should have made Dean uncomfortable, it should have been awkward, but it wasn't. Dean felt at ease and dare he say loved?

Castiel moved forward slowly, slow enough for Dean to back out if he wanted to. That wasn't necessary, Dean was ready. He brought one hand up to cup Dean's cheek and Dean instantly leaned into the touch. His hand was warm and he could feel Cas's breath on his face. The air thickened and Dean leaned in closer. He pecked Castiel's dry lips once before pulling back, he wanted this to go slow and he wanted Castiel to give him his consent.

Blue, that was all Dean could see. An almost electric blue bore into his own eyes, as if they were looking at his soul. That's when Castiel leaned in again, this time he parted his lips slightly, deepening the kiss.

The kiss wasn't sparks and fireworks. It was soothing and easy, as if they had done this a thousand times before. It was like a missing puzzle piece finally slotted into its place and complete the picture, completed him.

It was like coming home.