Author's Note:

I shipped these two as an AU couple way before I found out they were working together, but this is a random, short little drabble that came to mind, so I wrote it. I am well aware that Crowley is a self serving assbutt, but in my little world here, he is a somewhat humanized demon that's protective over our favorite misunderstood angel. I've been writing a lot of these random, short drabbles lately. I have a finished Destiel one (my OTP of course) that I need to add some lyrics to and post, but meh, I'll get around to it.

Be warned: Crastiel fluff ahead, if not a little bit one sided.

Crowley looked up when Castiel walked into his laboratory/interrogation room, the usually alert angel looking emotionally exhausted. Crowley sighed, figuring this had something to do with the Winchesters. It usually did when Castiel was upset. Did Crowley really have to spell it out that there was more than one reason he wanted to kill Sam and Dean? Not only were they threats to Crowley, but he hated seeing what they did to Castiel. This wasn't just about their deal, because contrary to popular belief, the time he'd spent with the angel had humanized him to a degree and he genuinely worried for Castiel.

He sat his knife down and stopped probing at their latest catch. "Get some rest, angel. You look like you went ten rounds with a brick wall."

"Dean reminds me vividly of one," Castiel muttered dejectedly. "He refuses to understand that I am doing this to protect him."

"That's humans for you. Now come on, there's a spare room down the hall, let's get you laid down."

When they weren't spitting venom at each other, they actually had an oddly caring relationship. Normally they were rubbing each other the wrong way, but when the fuse wasn't lit and things died down, they called it a truce and took solace in each other, in the only confidants they had left. After a year of working together, they'd inadvertently come to know each other better than anyone else ever could. Now they had something resembling a companionship, and maybe something more. But don't expect Crowley to admit that he'd fallen in love with the cloud hopping pansy.

"I am an angel. I do not require sleep," Castiel protested.

Crowley took his arm and guided him down the desolate hallway. "Maybe you don't require it, but it does wonders for the mental state. Just get some sleep and start again in the morning."

"I am fine."

"You should know better than to lie to me."

Castiel was silent as they went into the spacious storage closet that had been turned into a bedroom with only the bare minimal furniture. A neatly made bed, a nightstand, and a chair. Something that the demons had set up in case one of their masters ever wanted to rest. Crowley often talked Castiel into sleeping, because no, it wasn't necessary, but it made the angel feel better even if he didn't realize it.

Most of the time Crowley wanted to slowly torture the Winchester brothers, especially Dean. They were always causing Castiel pain. He cursed the angel for making him feel more human than he had in years, but he couldn't resist becoming furious whenever he saw the pain in those beautiful blue eyes after he went another round with the emotional battle that was more commonly known as his bone deep loyalty to those half brained idiots. Castiel had devoted all of himself to being their guardian, and it was killing him. It was also killing a certain demon to have to watch Castiel slowly become unraveled by all of it.

Crowley slid Castiel's trench coat down his arms, draped it over the chair, and gently pushed the angel onto the mattress. He removed Castiel's shoes and placed them by the door before sitting on the edge of the bed and gazing down at him. Castiel was already starting to doze, his half lidded eyes falling shut when Crowley softly stroked his hair. Crowley pressed a light kiss to the side of the angel's face before standing up and leaving Castiel to sleep.

No matter how obvious it was, he still wouldn't admit he was in love.