So I don't know when I thought of this, probably whilst rewatching an episode when Dean yet again prays to Cas to get lil Sammy out of trouble again. Seriously it happens a heck of a lot. It just made me think that maybe Cas thinks that Dean thinks all he's good for is angel stuff… and it made me incredibly sad. So I'm gonna make Dean realise what a shitty thing he's doing to the baby angel, even if it kills me, goddamnit! Hence the really short, semi-fluffy one-shot. You can see the relationship any way you like, friendship or other. Personally I ship the shit out of it, but I wanted to stay as true to canon as I could, so it's very subtle (not that the show is all that subtle anyway lol).

You can kind of gauge whereabouts it would be set in the timeline, though it's hard to give an exact season or episode for it. I'll leave it up to you.

Enjoy~

A Casual Prayer

Dean Winchester sat alone in the middle of a crappy motel room. He sipped a beer and sighed when it left his lips. The silence was deafening, not even the low hum of the old air conditioning unit could ease its roar. He felt restless so he began pacing the small room, beer still clutched in his grip. It didn't help. Before his brain could even register what he was doing, Dean began speaking out loud to the empty space.

"Cas, if you've got your ears on I would really appreciate you comin' on down."

Not even a second after the last word left his lips there was a gush of wind behind him. Dean turned to find a set of very blue, very concerned eyes inches from his face.

"That was quick, usually you let it ring for a few moments," Dean exhaled rapidly, as he watched Castiel squint his eyes and survey the room.

"What's wrong with Sam?" Cas replied in his usual gruff tone.

Dean blinked as he swivelled on his heels to keep an eye on the circling angel. "What?"

Cas paused in his observations to look at Dean again, brow knitted in exasperated confusion, "Sam. What's wrong with him?" A pause. "Moreover, where is he? I can't sense his presence nearby."

Dean stared as the angel's face glossed over, as it usually did when he spread his angel feelers out. "Uh, he's gone down to the store. He's fine Cas... Unless you believe there's a reason to think otherwise?" Dean added after a moment, his shoulders tensing slightly.

Castiel came back from his reverie, "No, I don't have any such concerns." His head shook slightly before he turned to Dean for the third time. "But then why did you pray for me?"

The hunter breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders relaxing again, though he still retained a similar perplexed look to the angel in the room, "What do you mean, 'why did I pray to you?'"

The blue eyed angel cocked his head as he squinted back at Dean, "Since it's only ever because of Sam that you pray to me. Either that, or you require my powers in some way."

Dean just stood there mouth half open in a state of shock. However not even a second passed before he schooled his features back into his usual nonchalant expression. There was no accusatory tone in Castiel's voice, no bitterness; he said it in such a way that made it seem like it was the most obvious thing in the world. The most normal thing in the world. That Dean Winchester only had him around for the sole purpose of his abilities and nothing more. And boy did that sting. It stung even more when he realised that from an outsider's point of view, from Cas' point of view; that it was true. That it was a fact. But to Dean Winchester it wasn't. Far from it.

"What are you talkin' about Cas?" Dean breathed out as he pulled his gaze away from the others. He didn't know what to say. How are you supposed to tell someone that you're not just using them, even though everything you've done in the past all points to exactly that?

Cas kept watching Dean as the hunter shifted his gaze and walked over to the mini-fridge in the corner of the motel room. "Never mind. If you have no need of me then I'll be going n...!" Cas' words were cut off as a beer came flying into his direction. On instinct he caught the bottle and looked up at Dean who was closing the fridge.

"I don't need..."

"Yeah yeah, I know you don't get anything from drinking, what with the angel mojo and all, but just humour me Cas," Dean interrupted with a wave of his hand as he sat down at the small table.

Cas still had his mouth open to protest but thought better of it. Mouth closing again, he gripped the beer bottle in his hand as he continued to stand in the middle of the room. He looked more like a lost puppy than usual.

A side glance at Cas from above the bottle made Dean roll his eyes at the sight. "Cas, what are you waiting for, a handwritten invitation? Just sit down will ya?" He grumbled as he took another sip from his beer.

Cas made a small "oh" sound and proceeded to slowly move over and sit stiffly on the chair across from Dean. His unopened beer still clutched in his hand under the table. They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, though it wasn't as suffocating to Dean anymore. It was a much more comfortable silence than before. He sipped his beer and tried looking everywhere but at Cas whilst Cas did the exact opposite; his beer stayed untouched and his gaze searched nothing but Dean.

Eventually Cas decided to voice his confusion, "I don't understand, Dean. If Sam's alright and you don't need my powers for anything, then why am I still here?"

Dean finally glanced over at him with the beer rim still at his lips before he removed it and let out a deep sigh. Cas just continued squinting at him as if he was trying (and failing) to unravel the hunter's thoughts. It seemed to frustrate him.

"You're here because I want you to be, man. As simple as that," Dean mumbled so quietly that anyone else would not have heard him.

But Cas did. "I don't understand," the angel repeated again. "You've never called for me for anything other than the use of my powers, why would it be any different now?" His voice was neutral if not a little strained with confusion. It was extremely frustrating for someone as vast and knowledgeable as Castiel to still not be able to comprehend this one being. Still, after so long of being by his side. Dean Winchester was as much a puzzle as he was the day Castiel pieced him back together.

"Come on, Cas." Dean voice groaned in exasperation or something else Castiel couldn't pick. "You know you mean more to us than what you bring to the table. You know that." The righteous man lifted his eyes from the half empty bottle to Castiel. There was hurt there, and the ever present hue of guilt shone a tad brighter than usual in Dean's eyes. Castiel studied them as Dean continued to speak hesitantly as if he was embarrassed about what he was saying. "You remember back in the crypt when you were beating the holy crap out of me?" Dean grinned snarkily.

Cas paused in his exploration of the green irises to frown at the man's words, "It is not a memory I am fond of, Dean." The feeling of Dean's bloodied face against the back of his knuckles still disturbed him.

Dean huffed a soft laugh before waving a dismissive hand, "Yeah yeah, I know. It wasn't your fault anyway, so stop feeling bad about it, will ya. What I meant was do you remember what I said to you to try and snap you out of it?"

Castiel squinted at Dean. Of course he remembered what he said. It was the one thing that managed to break Naomi's hold over him. He hadn't known it back then, but now it was difficult to not come to that conclusion. Though the words had meant quite a bit to Castiel, he assumed they hadn't meant as much to Dean and that he simply said them to stop Castiel, nothing more.

"You said you and Sam need me, that you needed me. And that is true; my powers are a great asset to..."

SLAM!

Dean's now empty bottle hit the table with a thud, not enough to shatter it but enough to startle Cas into pausing. "There you go again! Powers this, angel that! Have you ever thought that maybe we don't just need your angel mojo!? Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, we might enjoy your company every once in a while? That we're friends, not just goddamn fellow soldiers?" Dean looked absolutely livid, his eyes now a whirlwind of emotions as his knuckles curled on top of the table.

Castiel didn't exactly know what to say, Dean's words slowly worked their way through his celestial understanding. So what he was saying was that Dean didn't just see him as a tool to help their cause, but as a... friend? If that was so, then why did Dean only ever pray to him when his powers were required? He decided to voice that plot hole in Dean's accusation.

"Then why do you only ever call for me when you need my powers? I would assume if you saw me as a friend you would call for me even though you didn't need me for those reasons." Castiel stated in his gravelly voice.

Without missing a beat Dean replied, "Like I did just now?"

Castiel stayed silent.

Dean's slight smile faded and he ran his hand through his hair while sighing, "I don't know man, I don't know why I didn't call for you more often. I guess I just thought you had more important things to do than hang around us for no reason."

Castiel hummed quietly, "Well it is true that I sometimes have duties to attend to. Though having said that, I am always willing to make time to see you Dean." The angel said it with such conviction in his voice and such a straight face that Dean couldn't help but splutter a bit.

"Alright man, no chick flick moments," the hunter coughed awkwardly as he shifted in his chair, suddenly wishing there was another beer in the fridge. But no, Sammy was still on the grocery shopping trip.

Castiel blinked, "I do not understand that reference, but I mean it, Dean. You mean a lot to me." And then as if it was an afterthought he added quickly, "And Sam too of course."

Dean huffed a laugh and ran another hand through his hair, making it almost as ruffled as the angel's in front of him. "Yeah yeah, I get it. You mean a lot to me too, Cas. And not just because of your heavenly mojo, alright?" He added sternly to make sure he got his point across.

Castiel smiled for the first time in much too long, and boy Dean would be lying if he said it wasn't contagious. "Yes, I understand now. We're friends right?"

Dean smiled, "Right... Friends," though for whatever reason it took him a moment to say it. They smiled at each other for a few more moments before Dean cleared his throat and moved over to the still empty fridge. "Sammy should be getting back from the shops soon," he mused as he perused the barren icebox. He mock sighed as he leaned into it, hoping something baked-related would magically appear in front of his face. "So help me if he forgets the pie this time, I'll probably leave him for you, man," he muttered as he pulled his head back out of the fridge. He smiled as he heard a small gruff chuckle from behind him.