A week went by and life went on as usual with the Winchester brothers. Sammy had found them a new case to work on and he seemed to be obsessed with it. But despite Sam's efforts, Dean couldn't concentrate on work. Dean thought about Cas every day. Cas was the first thing Dean thought of when he woke up in the morning and the last thing he would think about when he would go to sleep at night. Sometimes it felt like he ached for Cas. Sometimes he thought he saw Cas just like after he had returned from purgatory. After a week of restless nights Dean fled the bunker and checked into a motel room to be alone. And then one night while lying in his hotel bed trying to sleep Dean prayed.

"Cas, are you there? It's me, your old pal, Dean." Wearing only his boxer shorts, Dean pulled the covers back and looked down at his bare feet in the dimly lit room. He couldn't sleep. His mind kept repeatedly going over everything Castiel had said to him about how they couldn't be together. "Cas, are you there? Can you hear me? Please come back to me, I need you, Cas." He finally said out loud as he felt a perfect teardrop slide down his cheek. And then like a flash he was there.

"Hello Dean." Cas said in a monotone voice as he appeared standing at the side of the motel room's bed. He was wearing his usual trench coat, white shirt and blue tie. He missed Dean so and it showed on his face.

"Cas!" Dean said as he got up on his knees and reached out to Castiel.

Castiel sat on the bedside and hugged Dean tightly. He pulled away for a moment and looked into Dean's eyes. There were tears in them

"Dean, do you really love me?" Castiel asked.

"Of course I love you, Cas. I've loved you ever since I first saw you, just like I told you," Dean thought for a moment before continuing. "Or maybe in some strange way I've loved you even before I saw you." He said as he reached out and gripped Cas' hand tightly.

Cas laced his fingers with Dean's.

"So is it my vessel that you love or is it me?" Cas asked sincerely.

"It's you, Cas, it's all of you. It's your vessel, it's everything about you. I've always felt like there was something there…something more between us. More than friendship. I just never wanted to admit it. Cas… I love you. I have all these feelings. Strong feelings. Confusing feelings. At first I thought it was just because you saved me from hell but…now I know it's more than that. Remember when I didn't feel Famine's hunger? It was because the only thing I hungered for is you. And you were with me the whole time. I saw visions of you after we were in purgatory. That wasn't just because you were in between worlds. It was because I need you, Cas. And I love you because…you saved me. In every way, you saved me."

"Dean you cant just take off and abandon your brother like that." Castiel said with concern in his voice.

"Why can't I? I've got nothing to live for anymore."

"Dean don't be like that. I'm here with you. You know I'll always be watching over you."

"You're here but we can never be together. Just like you said. You're an angel. I'm just a man." Dean said with immeasurable sadness in his voice.

"Dean, Sammy needs you."

"And I need you." Dean shouted

Cas looked at Dean with pain in his eyes. The man he used to know was broken.

Dean started to cry, "Cas…I'm sorry. I didn't want to leave the bunker or Sammy, but I couldn't help it. I had to get away. Everything in that bunker just reminded me of you."

Cas looked down at the floor.

"Would you look at me?" Dean said angrily

Cas looked at the empty bottle of liquor on the nightstand next to the bed. "I see you, Dean, you're a wreck."

"Cas…my heart is breaking." Dean sobbed. He lifted his hand and gently brushed his fingertips over Castiel's cheek.

"You really do love me don't you, Dean?" Castiel finally asked.

"More than anything." Dean said as he continued stroking the side of Cas' face.

Castiel looked at Dean calmly. He had heard enough proof. He knew it was time for them.

"Dean, I can't be with you…so I'm going to show you my true form…. I'm going to share my essence with you." Castiel said.

"I thought you said humans couldn't look upon Angels."

"It's alright Dean, I'll protect your eyes this time." Castiel said as he gently placed a finger on Dean's forehead. Dean's eyes suddenly filled with a glowing, pure white. A sound filled the room like someone playing a glass harp. Dean looked as if he were in a trance. Castiel then took Dean's hands in his and stretched their arms out in unison. "Keep looking at me Dean, don't stop, okay?"

"Should I be afraid?"

"No Dean, you have nothing to fear from me. You never have anything to fear from me, remember that."

"Are you really the size of the Chrysler building?"

"And then some."

"I don't think I could take that." Dean said in jest as both men laughed.

"Trust in me, Dean." Cas finally said.

As Dean looked at his angel, the form of Castiel's vessel slowly melted away and was replaced with a mystical vision. A vision of what Castiel truly looked like.

He was enormous. Swirls of light danced around his form. He had four wings, Two wings covered his face . Words couldn't describe the exquisiteness Dean saw.

"Cas, you're so beautiful." He said as his heart filled to overflowing with emotion at the sight of this being, this creature who he now felt a part of. Dean felt his body merging with Castiel's. He felt enormous pleasure at the sensation of the two men melting together in spirit. A feeling of weightlessness came over him.

"Cas." Dean said as he felt a powerful orgasm approaching in his body. "Cas, what is this?" He said with wonderment.

"It's my essence, Dean. Just enjoy it." Castiel said calmly.

'Oh my god." Dean cried out. Unable to think clearly, the pleasure was almost unbearable. His head flew back and he was engulfed in Castiel's celestial lightness. Dean shifted his hips upward and then it happened. An explosion of everything Dean had ever dreamed it would be like to be with his angel. His closest friend. The only being he had ever truly loved. He felt as if his soul moved backwards and forwards through time and his body stiffened and then his orgasm subsided. The vision of Cas' true form slowly disappeared and was replaced by its vessel. He looked into Castiel's beautiful blue eyes. He smelled that familiar smell of a sea breeze after a storm. "Cas, that was incredible." He exclaimed.

"I hoped you'd like that Dean." Castiel said in a monotone voice.

"Damn, Cas, you're damn right I liked it. You could do that all along?"

"Of course."

"What took you so long?"

"I was playing hard to get." Cas said in a way that let Dean know he was trying to call upon the humor of humans.

"Oh Cas." Dean said as he reached out and hugged his angel.

Castiel placed his hand over the red handprint on Dean's shoulder. It had been several years since he made that mark but it still felt like yesterday to Dean. Dean placed his hand over Cas' and squeezed it tight. "Cas, can you stay with me for a little bit?"

"I'll watch over you, Dean."

"No Cas, I mean….stay with me." He pulled the covers on his bed back further and motioned to the empty space beside him.

Castiel looked at Dean with intense eyes. "Of course I'll stay with you, Dean." He said straightforwardly as he laid down on the bed beside Dean. Dean rolled onto his side. He took Castiel's arm and pulled it over him so the two men were spooning. "This feels nice, Dean." Castiel said.

Dean could feel Cas' breath on the back of his neck. "Yes is does." Dean said. As he softly fell asleep in the arms of his angel Dean realized that this is what he had always wished for his whole life.