AN: Updating like a BOSS! Ahh, the chapter where things resolve... Enjoy! (:

Dean and Cas drove in silence; saying nothing, no music playing on the stereo. The only noise was the growl of the engine and rain hitting the car as they drove at high speed. Neither angel or hunter looked at each other, both feeling absolutely rotten at having lost the other. Cas had tried to get Dean to discuss his feelings, instead, Dean had snapped at him, saying he was fine and to just drop it. Sighing, Cas agreed and looked down at his lap for ten minutes until Dean had tried to cheer him up.

"Dude, want to pick some music to put on?"

Castiel shook his head; "no."

"Sure? Not even that tape with all the soppy songs on?"

Ignoring Dean's attempt at a smile, Cas shook his head again; "no."

Dean sighed and went back to driving in silence, missing fun-Cas. He felt like it wasn't even the same person sat next to him and was physically and emotionally upset to have lost his friend. Right now he was too tired to try and get him back, but he knew he wouldn't stop until Cas was smiling and joking again. Even if it meant coming out about everything he felt and thought. The rain seemed to be travelling south with them, they only escaped the torrential downpour when they crossed the border from California into Arizona.

"Shall we call it day? Go find a motel?" Dean asked, trying to get Castiel to say more than one word to him. Cas shrugged.

"If you want."

Three words, but Dean wasn't satisfied; "Cas, what's wrong? I know Sam got to you somehow, just, tell me."

Cas looked up and scowled at Dean; "like you tell me your feelings?"

The hunter frowned; "ok, I get it. But come on Cas..."

Castiel shrugged and went back to looking out of the window. Dean sighed and cruised around the town they'd entered looking for somewhere to stay. He eventually found a motel and pulled in to the parking lot.

"Stay here," he mumbled, climbing out of the car. Cas sighed and watched him walk away, going to sort the room. He was feeling emotional, there were too many feelings surging around for him to choose just one to go with, so chose to sit calmly, showing nothing. He could see it hurt Dean to see him as he was, but he didn't know what to do with himself. He didn't want to be responsible for causing Dean and Sam to fight, he'd feel terrible if they went their separate ways and never spoke again. He loved spending time with Dean, but he could see the more he did the more Sam felt ostracised. Dean came back to the car and open Cas' door.

"Come on."

The angel climbed out of the car and followed Dean up to the motel to their room. Dean slung his bag up against the sofa, switched the TV on and went through to the bathroom. Cas looked around at the room and sat cautiously on the end of the bed, looking at the TV screen. He could hear Dean banging about in the bathroom, clueless as to what he could be doing, unless he'd gotten stuck in something. He instantly jumped out when he heard something smash. Marching to the door, he threw it open to find the mirror smashed, everything that should have been on the counter on the floor and Dean sat on the edge of the bath nursing a bloody hand.

"Dean?"

"It's not fair," Dean whimpered. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hand to stop the blood. Cas sighed and used his grace to fix everything Dean had broken before grabbing his arm, pulling him out to go sit on the bed.

"What's not fair?" he asked, sitting next to him.

"Every time, something good happens to me, Sam fucks it up. As a kid, I looked after him I brought him up! I don't expect anything from Sam, he doesn't owe me anything, but for fucks sake, he could stop making it about HIM for once in his life! I need him as much as he needs me but that doesn't mean my life has to revolve around him!"

Cas smiled and took the towel off Dean's hand, taking it in his; "I suppose you have to see things from his point of view. What if it was Sam I was with right now, and you felt like Sam was abandoning you?"

"But I'm not abandoning him! I'm just, doing something without him for once in the past however many years! Am I not allowed?"

"Of course you are, but this is your problem, you won't talk to him. If you just told him-"

"-Tell him what? Oh hey Sam, Cas and I are off to a roadtrip which could potentially end with the two of us being closer than ever but it's nothing that you should worry about!"

"...Yes."

Dean sighed and looked down, realising his hand was still in Cas'. For some reason it wasn't hurting. He pulled it back and saw the wounds were healed. He managed a small smile.

"Thanks, Cas... It's just, you come in to my life, everything gets good and then, Sam wrecks it."

"Sam's just hurt. He feels like I'm replacing him."

"You could never replace Sam! I love him unconditionally, whatever shit he pulls I'll always be there for him! If he called now and was in trouble I'd be right there! How can't he see that?"

Cas shrugged; "because you've never told him."

Dean paused and looked in to Cas' eyes, they were so big, blue and innocent, and Dean could never refuse a single thing Cas requested if he just looked at him right. He sighed and rest his head on the angel's shoulder.

"I should go see him," he sighed. Cas nodded.

"In the morning, you're tired now. Rest, and think about what you'll say to him."

Dean nodded and took a deep breath; "ok... You sleeping too?"

"I don't need sleep."

"Please, Cas. Don't go back to your awkward angel ways."

Cas smiled; "ok."

Dean woke up wrapped in Castiel's arms, remembering curling up to him in the middle of the night. There was something about Cas that drew Dean to him, something about his personality. Lord knew he wasn't gay, there was nothing about this Jimmy Novak guy that attracted him in the slightest, except the eyes, which could just go to Hell; but he still felt a deep love for Cas, as a whole, vessel included. No one had ever made Dean smile as much, he'd never felt so close to anyone or so comfortable. Clearly he was comfortable with Cas, especially seeing as the two were snuggled up half naked in bed together. He slid his arms round the angel's waist and hugged him, realising what was going on in his head. But before he accepted anything, he had to talk to his brother. He climbed out of bed, making sure not to wake Cas and got dressed, going out to the car. He found his phone on the backseat and text Bobby, asking if they were at the same place. He lounged in the backseat, waiting for a reply, not noticing Cas stood behind him outside the car. He jumped a mile, hitting his head on the roof when Cas tapped on the window.

"Fucking, Cas! Stop that!"

He opened the door and let Cas climb in next to him.

"What are you doing here?"

"Texting Bobby, checking they're still in Cali."

"Ok. Do you know what you're going to say to Sam?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Dean sighed and slumped back onto Cas' chest, smiling when Cas moved his arm to around his shoulders so it didn't hurt. The two sat in silence for a few moments, happy they were back to normal.

"Did you lock the door?"

Cas nodded; "yes."

"Ok, good."

Bobby finally replied, they were still in Ojai. Dean sat up and looked at Cas.

"Dude, need your mojo, we need to go to Sam."

Cas nodded; "very good."

Cas raised his hand and pressed his fore and middle finger to Dean's forehead, the two of them appearing in Sam and Bobby's motel room. Bobby was sat on his bed, flicking through a gun magazine.

"We're here. Where is he?"

"In the shower."

"Ok. Take Cas out for a milkshake, the one."

Cas and Dean smiled at each other knowingly, Bobby eyed the two suspiciously.

"You took your angel out for a milkshake?"

"No, I just got him one once. Anyway, I need to talk to Sammy privately, so..."

Bobby nodded; "fine, come on."

Cas squeezed Dean's arm gently and followed Bobby out of the room. Dean sighed and looked around, sitting down on Sam's bed, waiting for him to finish preening himself, the vain bastard he was. Eventually, he heard the water stop and some shuffling about in the bathroom. Sam walked out in just a towel and glared when he saw his brother on his bed.

"What do you want?"

"To talk."

"What about?"

Dean sighed; "can you get dressed first?"

Sam shrugged and grabbed his clothes, going back in to the bathroom and getting dressed. He walked back out and leant on the door frame, waiting for Dean to start.

"So?"

Dean took a deep breath and laced his fingers together; "Cas says, I need to explain to you, that, you're not being replaced, or, I don't love you any less, or anything. I can see how you might feel pushed out, but you'll always be my brother! I just wanted some time away from you. We spend all our time together, we're getting to the point where one of us breathing would piss one of us off. We need time to ourselves!"

Sam nodded; "all right. But where does Cas fit in to this? Why's he your favourite?"

"He's not! He fits in to this because, he's like my only friend! I have you, I have Bobby, and I have Cas. Cas is there for me, completely. I've talked about my feelings to him! There's something about him I trust!"

"You don't trust me?"

"No, I do. But, I don't want to burden you with my troubles! You have your own, I expect you to come to me, I'm your rock, you depend on me. I feel I can't show weakness because I'll let you down!"

Sam frowned; "...You don't need to feel like that. I can cope, I'd rather have someone who can depend on me as much as I depend on him!"

"I get it, but... I don't know."

Sam went and sat next to his brother; "seriously Dean. If you came to me once in a while, things wouldn't be so tense... What is it about Cas that you feel comfortable with telling him everything?"

Dean shrugged; "everything. He listens to me without butting in, he knows not to bug me when I'm keeping something from him, he's patient, he has good advice, he's... Perfect."

Sam could tell Dean was keeping something else from him; "And...?"

"And...?"

Sam looked at him knowingly, waiting for Dean to continue.

"And... I think I love him."

Sam's jaw dropped; "what? Cas? But, you're-"

"-Straight, I know, but it's not about, sex. It's him I'm in love with, his personality, if he was in someone else's body I'd still love him. I don't care about his vessel... It's complicated."

Sam's shocked look turned into a grin; "dude, you're in love with an angel."

Dean scowled; "get fucked! I don't know what to do!"

"Tell him."

"This isn't funny, Sam. Take it seriously please! This is why I don't tell you anything!"

"Yes, sorry. Ok... Does Cas love you?"

"I don't know. Yes? But not in the way I do..."

"Ask him?"

"Yeah, I'll just casually ask him if he's in love with me, just because I'm curious. Come on, Sam!"

Sam sighed and got up from the bed, starting to pace around the room; "how long until he's back?"

"Bobby took him out for a milkshake, so, I don't know..."

"I still think you should just tell him."

Dean shook his head; "that's not happening."

"So you're planning on just, never telling him? Being in love with him until you or he dies and then...?"

Groaning, Dean hid his face in his hands, Sam couldn't help but grin. The two of them bounced ideas off each other until Cas and Bobby returned. Dean smiled at how innocent Cas looked with his milkshake, Sam saw and grinned.

"You two ladies all made up?" Bobby asked, sitting down. Dean nodded.

"Yeah, we're good, come on Cas, we can go now."

"Ok?"

"Hey Dean, good luck," Same grinned. Dean glared.

"Shut up before I punch you."

Bobby looked between the two suspiciously; "I thought you'd stopped arguing!"

"I'm sure Sam will tell you everything once I'm gone. Anyway, come on Cas, let's go!"

Cas waved to Sam and Bobby and transported him and Dean back to their motel in Arizona.

"What's Sam going to tell Bobby?" Cas asked, innocently taking another sip of his drink. Dean shook his head and began gathering his things up.

"Nothing important."

"You're keeping something from me."

"Of course I am, can we drop it?"

Cas shrugged and sat on the edge of the bed, finishing his drink. Dean tried to keep his eyes away from where the angel was sat as he packed his bag and got ready to leave.

"Will you ever tell me?" Cas asked, shaking his cup to check it was empty.

"One day, if you shut up about it. Ready?"

Cas nodded and followed Dean out to the car, waiting whilst Dean returned the motel room key. The hunter joined Cas in the car and they continued their journey. He leant forward and turned the stereo on, the love song compilation was still in. He groaned; Cas leant forward to turn it off, seeing Dean was uncomfortable but Dean grabbed his hand.

"No, leave it."

Cas nodded and waited for Dean to let go. The awkwardness suddenly consumed Dean who threw Cas' hand back over to him and gripped the wheel with both hands so tightly, his knuckles began to turn white.