A/N: I know you guys enjoyed the fluff, but now's the time for a little Dean angst. They might love each other, but that doesn't mean everything is going to run perfectly smooth from the get-go. It's a good thing he has such a patient angel by his side. P.S. John is an asshole. Homophobic language.

When they had finished the werewolf case, Dean decided it was time to take his angel out for a proper date.

Sure, they had gone out alone before, but this was different. Castiel was his boyfriend now and he was publicly announcing that he was in a gay relationship. All those years of John Winchester's disgusted voice whispering in his head about how homosexuality was an abomination was a big factor of why he hadn't acted on his feelings sooner. He never expected that his daughter Claire would shove him and the angel into the dungeon until they talked about those feelings. He supposed he owed her for that one, because he probably wouldn't have done it otherwise. He hadn't gotten to the PDA portion of their relationship just yet... they hadn't even kissed, but this was Cas. His best friend, his guardian angel, not some fling at a bar. He wanted to do this right.

Dean pulled the Impala to a stop in front of a 50s style diner they had passed on the way into town. The name Tiffany's was emblazoned across the front in bright red neon, with a winking neon-blue woman just under that. Dean sat there for a moment, hands gripping the steering wheel as he stared straight ahead. He had no doubts about his feelings for Castiel, but this was still very different for him. It had been years since he was in a semi-committed relationship for one, and for two, this was the first time he had ever been with another man. Sure, occasionally he would check another guy out (Dr. Sexy for example), but he never acted on it. He had been too much of a damn coward to even try. So he stuck to picking up one night stands in shady bars, and buried his less-than-hetero thoughts deep down. It seemed safer that way, until Castiel strolled into that barn on that fateful September day.

"Dean. We don't have to do this. We could go somewhere else if you like. Just the two of us."

He glanced over at the angel who had that understanding look in his blue eyes. Even after all this time it still amazed him that Castiel knew him so well. Despite his nervousness about the situation, his best friend deserved this, so Dean Winchester was going to man the fuck up and walk through those damn doors. "Nah, I'm fine. You ready?"

Castiel nodded and slid out of the passenger side. Dean took a deep breath and followed suit. Together they walked inside and waited for the hostess to seat them. She gave them a bright,friendly smile and led them to a booth near the bar. "Let me know when you're ready to order," she said cheerfully, and left them to their date.

Dean picked up his menu, his eyes scanning over it's contents, trying to ignore the erratic beating of his heart. He already knew what he was going to order, but he needed a moment to himself to get it together. He loved Castiel, so much that it physically hurt sometimes, but when you're conditioned for something for your entire life, it's hard to change your thinking that quickly. John had made him feel ashamed the first time he caught Dean checking out a boy that was staying in the next motel room over. Dean had been beaten that night, his father's belt ripping into his skin so hard it felt like it was tearing the flesh clean off. Luckily, John had dropped Sam off at the library, so his little brother didn't have to witness that, or end up in the line of fire.

"I raised you to be a hunter, a tough man who gets the job done, not some fairy ass faggot."

Dean squeezed his eyes shut at the memory, wincing as he remembered that terrible night. He hadn't even done anything with the kid, but John had saw him look, and for him that was enough.

"Dean, if you need to talk, I'm here," Castiel said, his gravelly voice cutting through the terrible memory.

The hunter nodded, putting the menu down and looking across the table. "Sorry. Just got a lot on my mind."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" the angel asked. "I am perfectly fine with - "

Dean reached out and grabbed the other man's hand. "Cas, I'm sure. Thanks for being so patient with me."

Castiel smiled. "Of course, Dean. You have always been patient with me when I don't always understand certain things."

Dean chuckled, leaning back against the red plastic. "That's different. You are a friggin' angel who was dropped into that... vessel, and suddenly had to learn thousands of years of human culture."

"I knew some of it already," Castiel said thoughtfully. "But things like music, movies, television - that was all very new."

"We still gotta do a Star Wars marathon sometime," Dean replied, grinning at the angel. "You remind me a lot of Yoda for some reason."

Castiel tilted his head. "I remind you of a small green alien who talks backwards?"

Dean rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. I forgot Meta-douche downloaded pop culture into your brain."

Castiel held a hand up to his head for a moment before dropping it again. "I suppose in some ways it was a good thing. Now I understand your references more than before."

"It was kind of cute, though."

"What was?"

"The way you didn't understand. You were like a little lost puppy."

Castiel glared at him. "I am a millennium old wavelength of celestial intent, not a puppy, Dean."

Dean put his hands up and smirked. "Alright, alright. No need to get all 'smiteful Angel of the Lord' on me now, babe."

The angel huffed and picked up his menu. "Sometimes your incessant stubborn nature does make me want to smite you."

Dean's mouth dropped open in shock. "What? You'd really smite me?"

Castiel shook his head. "No, Dean. I love you too much for that. You just frustrate me sometimes when you rush headlong into danger. Or have Bobby teach our daughter how to shoot," he added, with a pointed look at Dean.

The hunter shrugged. "No kid of mine is going into the world unprepared."

"Ready to order?" the waitress asked as she came up to the booth.

"Double cheeseburger with bacon and a chocolate shake," Dean said, handing the menu over to her.

Castiel looked displeased with him, but ordered the same thing as well. "One day you're going to have a heart attack," the angel chastised.

Dean patted his stomach. "It'll be worth it. Death by burger. Besides, you just got the same thing, hypocrite."

"I'm not human. It won't affect me the way it will affect you."

"Well la-di-dah." Dean waved his hands dramatically. "I'm sorry I'm just a boring old human without superpowers."

Castiel frowned. "I don't find you boring. You are the most interesting man I have ever met. And I met Jesus."

Dean wasn't sure which of those statements to comment on, so he decided to go with the one that wouldn't end in an uncomfortable chick flick moment. "Dude... you met Jesus? The Jesus?"

"Was there another that I'm unaware of?"

"Nope. So, what was he like?" Dean asked, leaning forward again.

Castiel paused, squinting his eyes as he thought. "Your bible got a lot of information wrong about him."

"It's not my bible. I never even believed in God until..." He trailed off, looking at the angel who regarded him with curious blue eyes. If someone had told him 8 years ago that he would one day be sitting in a diner on a date with his angel boyfriend, he would have punched them in the face and then had them committed for being fucking insane.

"Until?"

"Until you rescued me from Hell," Dean said softly, averting his eyes now. "Even when you told me that you were an angel, I didn't believe you. And then I just thought you were a dick."

Castiel fiddled with his napkin, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry for how I acted back then. I thought I was doing the right thing because it's what my Father commanded."

"You ended up doing the right thing," Dean told him. "You chose the side of humanity, and we were able to prevent the world from ending."

"I caused so many other problems after that," the angel said with a sigh.

"Do you ever regret choosing humanity?" Dean asked. "Choosing... me?"

Castiel looked up, surprised at the question. "No. Why would you think that?"

Dean rubbed a hand across the back of his neck. "It's just - you lost a lot the past 8 years. I might not have liked your family, but they were still your family."

"The only decisions I regret are the ones that ended up getting you or Sam hurt. My brothers and sisters were warriors, conditioned to focus on the mission no matter the cost. That's not a good way to live."

Dean thought back to his earlier memory of his father. "Was it easy for you to change? To be able to get past all that conditioning and learn to do what you felt was right?"

Castiel considered this for a minute. "I would say that in my case, there has always been a part of me that was broken. At least, that's what they would have me believe. Naomi once told me that I 'came off the line with a crack on my chassis'. I suspect she might be right about that."

"There's nothing wrong with you, Cas," Dean defended, feeling anger pool in his gut at the mention of Naomi. She may have tried to help them in the end, but he never forgot how she mind-controlled Castiel to kill him.

Castiel smiled back at him. "Thank you, Dean. But I did come to a realization a long time ago."

"What's that?"

"My Father created me just as I am. If I am truly 'broken' then that's how I'm meant to be."

"You still have faith in Him?"

The angel nodded. "Yes. I believe one day He will come back, when we need Him the most."

"I ain't holdin' my breath," Dean scoffed, taking a drink of his water.

"Dean, I don't expect you to have faith in God. I just hope that..." Castiel averted his eyes again, looking down. "I just hope you still have faith in me, despite all I've done."

"Of course I do, man. Why would you think otherwise?"

"You didn't seem like you really wanted to be here tonight," the angel replied. "I assumed it was me."

Dean felt like an asshole. Castiel thought that Dean was ashamed of him? He grabbed the angel's hand in his again. "I am not ashamed of you. My problems are my own stupid fears, courtesy of John Winchester and his deep seeded homophobia."

"You believe that if he were alive right now, he wouldn't accept you for being with a man?"

"I know he wouldn't." Dean told the angel about the memory he had earlier, and by the end Castiel was clutching Dean's hand so tight the hunter thought he was going to break it. "Whoa, easy there, tiger. You're gonna break the damn thing off."

"My apologies, Dean. I just do not approve of your father's... methods."

"Join the club," Dean said, " We have t-shirts and white hug-me jackets."

"So you're not... unattracted to me?"

Dean laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Cas, trust me. You don't have to worry about that. You are the hottest dude I've ever met. But you're also the first dude I've ever been with, so..."

"So this is just new for you."

"Exactly."

Castiel breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay. Thank you, Dean."

"Huh? For what?"

"For giving me this chance." Castiel's eyes slid over to his, a smirk appearing on his face. "Even if it only took 8 years to do it."

For the second time that night, Dean's mouth dropped open. "Seriously, Cas? You could have said something, too, you know!"

"It was much more fun making Sam feel awkward while we stared at each other."

"You knew about that?"

"Of course. I'm an angel, you ass, not an idiot."

Dean burst into laughter at that. "Oh man. Cas, you are awesome. You know that right?"

"I must be, to earn the love of Dean Winchester."

Dean felt speechless at that, the laughter leaving him as he gazed across the table at the man who rescued him from Hell, from Heaven, and from himself. "Thank you for saving me," he whispered.

"I think we saved each other."