Sam sat in his motel room, his gaze flickering between his laptop and the stranger splayed over his bed.
He wanted to go to sleep- a day on the road and the ungodly hour coaxing his eyelids shut- but he knew that Dean would kill him if he took his bed.
His deliberations were cut short by the sounds of his brother's return.
The low roar of the engine cut short, followed by the scuffing of boots against wet pavement and low voices getting- softer?
The hunter leaned from his chair to peak out of the filthy window.
Sure enough Dean and Castiel were moving, not towards him, but away, to the angel's room.
Sam smiled to himself, pleased that his brother had finally managed to get something right.
With a light chuckle, he stood and stretched, pulling his shirt off with the motion, before flopping himself onto the bed.
He sighed, relishing the simple luxury of being able to sleep laying down his muscles unwinding.
That was when he heard footsteps closing in on the room, and the door,burst open, the orange light of the street lamp flooding the room.
Sam shot up in bed, a hand over his eyes while he fought to stand.
After a tense moment of silent, Sam opened his eyes, to see a rumpled and embarrassed Dean standing in the doorway, his lips set in an apologetic smile.
"Damn Dean. What the hell?"
The elder hunter shrugged, walking over to his bedside to grab his phone charger and duffle bag.
"My, ahh, phone's dead."
Sam sighed, flopping back onto the bed.
"Is that the reason you came in here,or is it the fact that your 'supplies' just so happen to be in your bag."
It took Dean far too long to register the implications in his brother's words, and when he did, his features flushed crimson.
"No you sick sonofabitch, I have more respect for him than that. I mean, we've only just, you know-"
He thrust his hands to the side, trying to convey the words that his mind could not form.
The younger hunter laughed, running a hand over his face.
"Too tired to get it up?"
"Yes, no. Shut up! I'm not discussing this with you."
Dean ran a flustered hand through his hair, hoisting the duffle bag over his shoulder.
"Look I'll just-"
He waved at the door.
"Alright man. Get some rest. We have some body's to look at in the morning."
The elder hunter nodded.
"Night Sammy."
Sam rolled over with a huff, stuffing his face into the musty pillow, before falling asleep to the sound of a latch clicking.
Dean rolled his shoulders as soon as he had left the room, attempting to remove the tension that had settled there.
He was nervous, plain and simple, at the prospect of simply sleeping with Cas.
It was a new concept, an intimate concept.
A frightening concept.
Lisa had been the first and only serious relationship that the hunter had ever had, and was- in effect- the last one that he had expected to have.
Yet even with Lisa sex had been a major factor in their dynamic; being what got them together, and there main outlet for all things emotional.
This, with Castiel, would be different.
It was based on them.
Their experiences together.
Their friendship.
Their bond.
And it was absolutely terrifying.
Dean sighed, plodding to the door, his hand raised awkwardly to knock, before he huffed and simply pushed the door open.
He was met with the sight of Castiel lying stiffly on top of the bed, still fully dressed, his eyes wide open and unmoving.
The resemblance to a corpse was unnerving.
With a soft laugh that betrayed his anxiety, Dean cleared his throat.
"Cas, buddy, sit up."
The angel did as he was told, his torso rising slowly from the bed, further etching into the hunter's ind that this wasn't a human he was with, but an etheral creature of his own right.
He sighed, crossing his arm and looking pointedly at the angel.
"What are you doing?"
Castiel cocked his head at the hunter, his eyes searching.
"I am laying myself down to rest."
The answer was stated so solemnly, with such a resolute tone, that the hunter could not help but laugh.
"Like a corpse on a slab? Dude, you seriously need to learn how to relax."
Castiel sighed.
"This is a sentiment that you have expressed before."
He leaned back onto his elbows, his posture still rigid despite the nonchalant pose.
"What then, do you propose?"
Dean shook his head, running his hand absentmindedly through his hair.
"I 'propose' that you strip out of your inspector gadget getup first and foremost."
Castiel's confused expression deepened.
"I thought that you didn't want to have intercourse at this time."
The hunter's ears burned, and he glanced around, trying to swallow the lump that had appeared in his throat.
"I don't! Not- Not yet. But I'm not cuddling up to the holy tax accountant."
He shook his head, pulling off his suit jacket and tie.
"And don't use the word intercourse. It sounds too-"
He huffed, shaking his head once more.
"I don't know. Just, ditch the outer wear, and get under the sheets."
Castiel obliged, his clothing appearing on the table in a neat pile.
Dean stripped to his boxers before turning around,only to be faced with a completely nude angel.
His hand flew to cover his eyes.
"I, ahh, I said outer wear, Cas. Could you, umm, you might want to put your underwear back on."
Th angel simply shrugged.
"There is nothing to put back on. This vessel does not wear those."
He pointed to Dean's boxers.
The hunter blushed further, his mind wondering to his many fantasies along this same vein of thought.
"Great. All these years and you've been going commando."
Castiel grasped his hands behind his back.
"Does that fact bother you?"
Dean shook his head, rubbing his face tiredly.
"Not so much bothering me as bothering me, you dig?"
The angel's confused expression didn't waver.
"What does the removal of soil from the earth have to do with your being upset by my lack of undergarments."
Dean groaned, hanging his head.
"It's an expression Cas. And I'm not upset by it, I'm, God help me, I'm aroused by it."
Realization dawn over the angel's features.
"Oh."
The angel smiled, as he rocked forward on the balls of his feet.
"Well, then I suppose that I should be thankful for my vessel's practices."
The innuendo was there, and it drew a smile to the hunter's face, easing some of the tension from the room.
"Speaking of, how is your vessel doing. Jimmy, I mean. I imagine he may not be to pleased about."
The hunter waved between them.
Castiel shrugged, pulling the coverlet down and climbing in.
"Jimmy has not inhabited this vessel in years. I allowed his soul to pass into heaven when he chose to become my permanent vessel. He is at peace."
Dean's smile grew, and he sat on the edge of his bed, plugging is phone up quickly.
"Good to know. That's actually quite load off my mind."
He heard Castiel shift behind him.
"Why?"
Dean shrugged, pulling himself onto the bed while extinguishing the bedside lamp.
"I'm with you, The Angel Castiel, not your vessel. It felt wrong , you know, to show physically affection to another person, when I want to show it to you."
He closed his eyes, nestling into the pillows.
Castiel nodded, watching the tension slowly fade from his hunter's features.
After a few moments of relaxed silence, Dean smirked.
"You know, one day I'll show you my room. The bed 's memory foam. It remembers me."
The angel frowned at that, the concept more alarming than the hunter seemed to let on.
"Dean, if your bed is sentient, does it not pose issues of security or safety?"
The comment was so full of concern that the hunter had to pause to consider it.
"Cas. It's a figure of speech. It isn't actually conscious."
"Oh."
There was a pause, which saw the hunter drifting slowly to sleep.
"Dean?"
The hunter rolled over.
"Yea?"
The angel bit his lip in the dark.
"Can I, may I , touch you?"
Dean chuckled sleepily, throwing his arm over his angel and snuggling up to him.
Castiel returned the embrace, content in Dean's arms as his thoughts drifted into peace.