/This installment is a little late sorry xD Next one will be up on Monday!/

CASTIEL

Castiel has existed for exactly 5,000,000 millennia, 3,400 centuries, 240 decades, 4 years, 8 hours, 3 minutes and 43 seconds. The greatest 2.5 seconds of Castiel's life are when first Dean Winchester kisses him. When God deemed it time for a new era of life after the meteor that eradicated the dinosaurs, he told the angels of the evolution that was about to take place. When human beings finally appeared, he was awestruck with their mating cycles and the reproduction process. Kissing was not only done as a display of affection, it was also one of comfort and soon became even a gesture of greeting. He himself mainly understood the mechanics of it, and now, Dean's kissing him so softly, it makes his grace pulse and twirl with wonder and amazement at the emotions that are ramming into him with the force of a freight train. Castiel marvels at the way their lips slot together, a perfect fit, but the moment is over all too soon. Dean looks at him with a soppy smile. His wings sigh and murmur like the wind, displacing each other with the euphoria and peace of it.

Dean chuckles and ruffles Castiel's hair, as he pulls away. Castiel makes a noise of irritation, wanting Dean's lips back against his but Dean only stretches as he gets off the bed. "C'mon Cas, don't look at me like that. We're leaving soon, we'll have time to ourselves then."

Castiel sighs. "Forgive me, Dean. I simply find kissing you is rather the most enjoyable thing I can find to do."

Dean's eyes darken and he laughs throatily, a dark and lustful sound. "There'll be plenty of other enjoyable things we can find to do Cas, but not now." Dean promises. "It's only two more days babe."

Castiel finds that after living through millennia without this amazing contact with Dean, he can probably find the patience to wait 48 hours. He just doesn't want to.

Dean yawns. "I'm going to take Sam to the movies. I want to spend some time with him before I leave. Catch you later Cas." With that, Dean pads out the door, and Castiel wonders what he should do for the time being.

As it turns out, Castiel doesn't have much to worry about in the way of entertainment.

"Gadreel." Castiel greets his brother warmly despite their previous less-than-friendly encounter. Gadreel is surprisingly expressionless. His wings are completely still. It's normal for angels like Castiel, but not for guardian angels for Gadreel who have spent a better part of their existence with human beings.

"Castiel." Gadreel's voice is carefully controlled.

Before Castiel can say a word, Gadreel is gone, leaving Castiel very confused. He goes in search of Ambriel instead.

"Hello Castiel." Ambriel is sitting quietly in a corner of the living room as Mary folds laundry, calloused hands smoothing down fabric, getting the creases out efficiently.

"Hello, Ambriel." Castiel stands beside her, and they watch Mary for a few moments.

Ambriel breaks the companionable silence. "You seem happier."

"I am." Castiel's wings shake out in a sigh and fold back against his back. "Dean and I, we are doing well."

"That is good." Ambriel pauses for a long moment. "It will not be easy Castiel."

"I am prepared…for the backlash from heaven." Castiel chooses his words carefully.

"There will be many who disagree with your choices." Ambriel warns.

Castiel nods. "I understand."

"You do not, Castiel. You continue to have the idea that somehow heaven might accept you."

"Heaven is my home." Castiel says stubbornly. "I cannot give up on my brothers and sisters."

"With our absent Father, I do not think it will be well received, Castiel." Ambriel says kindly.

"I do not want to think about it." Castiel says mulishly.

"Castiel…"

"Ambriel I have made my decision. Whether or not heaven can accept it, I must abide by my choice."

"You may not have a choice in the matter soon Castiel." Ambriel is almost hesitant to mention it, but she does anyway. "No other angel has fallen since the time of Lucifer, Castiel."

Castiel looks up sharply, his wings rustling, disturbed. "Surely I cannot be condemned for love."

"God is no longer around, Castiel." Ambriel's gaze is piteous. "The angels will not hesitate to mete out such a punishment."

"No, they cannot." Castiel's wings fan out, rippling with indignation.

Ambriel's wings press against her back, tense. "Perhaps it would be best if.."

Castiel does not wait around to hear what Ambriel has to say. He already knows it is something he does not want to hear. By no means will he leave.

As the Kansas sky rapidly darkens, Castiel removes his trench coat and suit jacket. Loosening his tie, he carefully pulls it over his head and drapes it carefully over his folded coat and jacket, which lie on his chair. Rolling up his shirt cuffs as Dean often does for him before bed, he tucks himself into Dean's bed, inhaling the scent of Dean intermingled with his favourite cologne. Closing his eyes, he tunes out completely. He often does this when he wants to be alone. He tunes out the 'angel radio' as Dean refers to it. He tunes out the world and all its sounds and smells and sights. The only thing he keeps open is the channel between him and Dean in case his charge needs him. He controls his breathing and feels himself drift away, his grace stilling within him, as he relaxes completely.

"Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" Dean's deep, amused voice cuts into Castiel's consciousness, and he opens his eyes to stare at Dean.

"Hello, Dean."

Dean grins. "Hi there, gorgeous." It takes moments for him to strip out of his clothes, down to his boxers and join Castiel in bed. He groans when he sees Castiel still in his pants, belt and shirt. "Cas, what've I told you about bedtime."

Castiel obediently gets up and pulls off the rest of his clothes as Dean watches, supposedly rather affected by the way his pupils are dilated and his breath is ragged. Once Castiel is down to a pair of undershorts, Dean holds an arm out to him in invitation from under the covers. They're soon comfortable, wrapped up in each other, legs tangled. Castiel likes it best when Dean is in the mood to cuddle. It makes him feel like he's close to Dean in every sense possible. It's like how Dean used to curl up with him in a pillow fort of his own making as a thunderstorm raged outside. In that sense, five year old Dean is the same as eighteen year old Dean, but now everything is different.

"I was thinking today." Dean nuzzles his neck. "I can't wait to spend time with you on our road trip. It's kind of difficult dating an angel when people are around."

Castiel is puzzled. "Why?"

"Because no one can see you, Cas." Dean gives him a look, like it should be obvious. Castiel can't understand how he overlooked it before.

"Would that be a problem?" Castiel asks, worriedly. "Humans are not by nature able to see angels."

"No problem, Cas, buddy." Dean kisses the wrinkle in his forehead. "I just wish I could take you out on a date or introduce you to my family like I would if you weren't an angel."

"You would not love me if I were not an angel." Castiel says matter of factly.

He thinks he may have said the wrong thing, when Dean sits up and stares at Castiel, eyebrows raised and mouth turned down in a frown. "Cas, what the hell?"

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Of course I would love you even if you weren't an angel!" Dean's nostrils flare. "You being an angel doesn't define you man, it's so many other things. Like the way you look at me when you're confused. Or the way you make little noises when I kiss you, or those fucking eyes of yours or that beautiful smile."

Castiel is speechless. He doesn't know what to say to this, and he had never really thought about the idea that an angel isn't all he is.

"Cas," Dean continues, gently. "You're more than just an angel, babe."

"I never thought of it that way before." Castiel frowns. Dean huffs a laugh and lies back down on his back.

"I'd love you no matter what you were." Dean promises, with a kiss to each of Castiel's closed eyes.

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel's wings wrap around his charge as he rests his head against the crook of Dean's shoulder. "I love you."

"I love you too, Cas." Dean grins, fingers idly playing with Castiel's hair. "It ain't going to be easy though Cas."

"That's what Ambriel tells me every day." Castiel says mournfully.

"Oh, yeah?" Dean yawns.

"Heaven will be displeased if they come to know about us."

Castiel feels Dean shrug. "So they won't find out. No biggie." Dean presses a kiss to Castiel's hair.

Castiel draws Dean a little closer into their embrace, reveling in their shared heat.

"It'll be okay, baby. We'll get through."

"How do you know that?" Castiel asks Dean, genuinely curious.

"Like it or not, Cas, you're a Winchester. Have been for a long time now. And Winchesters always pull through." Dean says gruffly.

Castiel's wings quiver with complete happiness. "I like it."

Dean chuckles. "I know you do."

"How was your day?" Castiel asks, trying to make small talk, as he has seen many people do.

"You been watching soaps again?" Dean asks suspiciously.

"Only Dr. Sexy, like you advised me to." Castiel smiles.

"Liar. I know the soaps are your favourite."

"And I know you cried during The Sixth Sense."

Dean humphed. "Yeah well whoever didn't cry at that movie, like you, is soulless."

"I don't have a soul Dean."

"My point exactly." Dean retorts.

Castiel smiles. It is easy to fall into this type of easy banter with Dean. He enjoys it immensely.

God watches as Dean Winchester falls asleep, smiling at the openly loving way Castiel watches him. His angel really was meant for great things. He frowns, turning away from his crystal ball, snapping a finger to return it to a harmless curio. (Cliché, he knows, but he likes it.)

Things are about to get pretty hairy for those two, God knows, and it will be painful. God smiles. There is no beauty without pain.

He sighs. He never wanted to leave his children, but they have a lesson to learn, and it is necessary. He closes up shop.

The end of another day, he thinks, but the beginning of a new one.