4:36am

Dean sat up straight in his bed, breathing heavily. He was sweating, and as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the motel room, he leaned his head on the headboard, letting out a long breath. He had been dreaming of hell, for the first time in a while. The flashbacks of pain and remorse ever so often overcame him when he was at his weakest. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and leaned over to the nightstand, glancing at Sammy who was rolled over in his bed, seemingly sleeping peacefully. Dean switched on the dim light and glanced over at the blinking clock, first pulling a pair of pants he'd strewn tiredly last night over the clock and nightstand off of it. It was 4:39am.

Dean sat on the side of the bed and took several long, steadying breaths. He grabbed the pair of pants, he was in a shirt and underpants for sleeping. Then he got up from the bed, completely wide awake now, and turned around-

"Hello, Dean."

"Son of a bitch!" Dean swore at the trench coat-wearing, dark-haired angel that stood on the other side of the bed. "Cas- don't do that!"

"I am sorry," said Castiel unapologetically. Cas's piercing blue eyes were fixed on Dean, distinct even in the darkness.

"You'll never fucking learn, will you," said Dean again, shaking his head. "How long have you been standing there?"

"I have only just arrived," Cas replied, ignoring Dean's blaspheme.

Dean glanced at Sam's sleeping form. "Is he-?"

"He will not wake now."

Dean quickly walked around the bed to stand by Cas while pulling on his pants awkwardly. "What's the matter, then, Cas? Why are you here?"

Cas looked down. "I needed to talk to you," he said in his low voice.

Castiel smelled like spiced honey and angel wings. I'm probably just hungry, Dean thought to himself quickly, completely disregarding his feelings. I'm tired. It's fine. He cringed. Oh fuck- I'm having fluffy angel thoughts…

"Soooo," he said out loud, taking a step back from Cas and his fluffiness (stop it, Dean, he thought) "What did you want to talk about?"

Cas looked up at him, a strange look on his face, and said: "Not here. Someone could be listening." And before Dean could protest, he put two fingers to his forehead. Dean felt a distinct pressure and everything went dark.

A moment later, Dean staggered as he found himself, still barefooted, on a beach. The sun was setting and cast a warm glow on the perfectly smooth, soft, white sand and ocean that went out as far as he could see. Dean turned around slowly, taking in his surroundings. Behind him, the sand melted into a mysterious mist that, no matter how hard Dean tried, he could not see through. The beach stretched out as far as he could see in either direction. On one side he could vaguely see the rough outlines of some dark mountains. Dean laughed, slightly disbelievingly. "Dude, where are we, Cas?" he turned back to the angel. "Paradise?"

Cas didn't answer his question directly and said instead, "This place is protected. We will not be heard here. My brothers and sisters are shielded as well."

Even so, Castiel looked around briefly before saying stepping closer to Dean and saying: "I'm thinking more and more like a human, Dean. I don't know anymore- I don't know what's wrong or right- my connection to the heavens is failing, Dean. I actually slept the other day. Angels don't do that." He paused, and gripped onto Dean's arm intensely, staring right into Dean's soul with his ice-cold eyes, shattering Dean with his penetrating emotions of uncertainty, fear and deep loneliness.

"I think- I think I'm losing my grace, Dean. I think I'm falling." Cas's eyes were wide with uncertainty.

Dean kind of liquefied inside and looked over at Cas's hand on his arm. He bit his lip, and tried for a smile. "Cas, it's like 5 in the morning.. Do you think this is a good time for a dramatic revelation?" he laughed uncertainly. Cas didn't crack a smile, and took his hand off of Dean's shoulder, turning away from him.

Dean didn't want to break the connection so quickly though. He put a hand on Cas's shoulder, tentatively at first, sighing inwardly when Castiel relaxed into the touch. Slowly, he turned Cas around, and looked into his eyes. "Fuck, Cas. I'm sorry. I'm shit at feelings, and I've never been a religious guy- what do you want me to say?"

Cas's eyes were rimmed with red, like he was going to cry, and they had turned dark and soulful. With them, the sky was darkening. 'I-I don't know. I want someone to understand. I want-" he broke off and stared up at the sky. Dean looked up too, hand still on his shoulder. The sky had darkened rapidly and a few stars were beginning to shine high up in the atmosphere. Across the ocean the sun was nearly gone, setting a blood red glare through the sea.

He looked back at Dean and said purposefully "I've given everything to help you, Dean. My brethren are dead. You're all I have left, Dean. I need you."

And with those words, Dean's perceptions of the world were shattered into a million pieces.

"I've got you, Cas. I'll help you through this. I've got you. Everything will be all right." He said roughly. Cas leaned into Dean, and they simply embraced. So many emotions coursed between them. A fear of crossing the boundaries between the angel and the human. Energy, a raging feeling that struggled beneath the surface. Anticipation for what was yet to come. And hope, raw and simple.

On one side of the hug, Dean stood straight, supporting Cas, who was huddled into him. His eyes stung with unexpected tears, but instead of letting go to wipe them away he held Cas tighter to him. His doubt melted away, spinning off and letting go of a part of Dean.

Cas had buried his face in Dean's shoulder. He stood in Dean's hard, muscly arms, holding him strongly. Something had broken inside of Cas, and on the other side, something fundamental had mended. His heaven-and-God faith was still intact, but another faith had arose. Faith for Dean Winchester. Faith that he knew that they would always have each other's backs, and loyalty to each other, everlasting, indestructible faith. And happiness, pure bliss to be standing there with Dean. Castiel's humanity was beginning to show.

They lost track of how long they stood there together in each other's arms. Stars began to fall around them, and it turned into beautiful golden rain that fell down to the ocean, and where the first golden streak hit, more followed. Eventually the stars stopped falling, and the sky remained dark but the ocean remained gold, and it rose and suddenly it was all around them, the gold shivering and spinning dynamically around the two. They weren't at any beach any more, Cas and Dean, just a space of light and shimmering gold tendrils that enclosed the two softly and warmly and tucked them in. Dean gazed up in wonder as it spun in slow-motion around them. The golden light was highlighting Cas's dark hair with a beautiful, angelic tint. Dean laughed out loud, surprising himself and Castiel, who came out of Dean's shoulder and looked around. Then Castiel did a beautiful thing too. He smiled. And Dean felt that it wasn't just the outside smile of Jimmy's face. It was Cas, on the inside looking out, shining out, coming out of his vessel. All around them, Dean realized, was Cas's smile- his pure joy- it seemed like the whole of the universe laughing with Dean.

"You're right." Cas said, and his voice was soft, but Dean could hear it all around him. 'Everything will be all right."

And in that moment, it seemed to be true. Because Castiel and Dean Winchester were in love, and nothing in the world could break them apart.