A/N: continuing on, haha...

-Chapter Ten-

Dean scrubbed roughly at blond locks as he pushed open his door with a huff.

"Careful, it's sleeping."

Dean stopped mid-step, catching himself from plowing straight into a small puppy on the floor. "What the?"

"I think Sam forgot him," Cas offered quietly, not looking up. The dark-haired guy sat on the floor in the dark, his legs spread out with the small Rottweiler puppy resting between them. "I assume since he hasn't come back for him he must be busy with Lucifer."

"Ew, Cas," Dean moaned, shutting the door behind him and sighing in frustration. "What are we supposed to do with it?"

"I suppose take care of it until Sam returns," the guy offered matter-of-factly, finally looking up. Dean stopped fidgeting. The dark-haired guy blinked before saying, his low voice less sure, "I'm sorry I left you down there, Dean, I thought you would follow."

Dean ran a hand through his hair with a weary sigh. "Yeah, probably shoulda." Then he sniffed, clearing concerning thoughts for the moment. He chewed on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully as he watched Castiel pet the sleeping puppy when it whimpered softly. He lifted his chin, refusing to move closer. "What's wrong with it?"

"I think a bad dream," was his response.

"Hm." Dean glanced around the darkened room, resigning himself to watching the little furball for the night, because Cas was probably right; he didn't want to go knocking on Sam and Lucifer's door at that moment. "Well where's it gonna sleep?"

"I can sleep with it on the couch," Cas offered.

Dean frowned, looking down at the guy.

"I know you don't want to sleep with it, it's fine."

Dean fidgeted, grimacing slightly as he struggled with what he wanted more. He held back a groan, and he crouched down finally, eyeing the puppy more closely. It seemed to be sleeping. "Does it need someone t'sleep with it?" he asked gruffly.

"Well, it's only been away from its mom and siblings for two days now. I think it would be lonely by itself."

"Hmm." Dean reached out and gently scratched its soft neck, the puppy squirming closer to him but not opening its eyes in the process. "I guess it won't hurt to let it on the bed this once."

Dean looked up when he received no response to find Cas smiling warmly at him, and the itching in his chest returned. He gave the puppy one final scratch, and then he stood back up, stretching. "All right, if you move it, I'll make a spot."

The sandy blond trailed over to the couch. He grabbed the blanket off it, that Sam had been using before he'd abandoned his puppy in his room. "Loves dogs my ass," he mumbled as he folded it a few times and then dropped it near the foot of the bed in the center. He felt Cas brush his side as he stopped close beside him cradling the tiny sleeping animal, and he motioned at the space. "How's that?"

"I think that's good, let's see," Cas said, and then he carefully lowered the fluffy black and tan puppy onto the folded blanket. It moved some, tucking its nose against its side and then sighed softly, eyes still closed.

"Okay then," Dean said, walking around to his side of the bed. He pulled his shirt off and pushed down his pants without thinking, stepping out of them distractedly, leaving only navy blue boxers on. He glanced over as he began to climb carefully into the bed to find Castiel pulling off his own shirt. The guy's chest and stomach were just visible, the pale light from outside accentuating the lines of his tone body, and Dean pulled the comforter just over his hipbone as he settled on his side to face him.

The dark-haired guy slipped under black sheets too in only a pair of sweatpants, his position mirroring Dean's, Sam's Christmas puppy separating their legs. "Thank you, Dean," he said as he settled, his low voice rumbling smoothly.

"What for?" Dean asked, lifting his pillow and moving it closer as he angled his upper body towards the guy, wishing the puppy was gone already. "Sam should be the one thankin' me for keeping Fido, not you."

Cas said nothing to that, furrowing pitch-dark brows after a few beats. "Are you two fighting?"

Dean exhaled heavily, feeling guilty, because Cas seemed to be okay with most things, but fighting clearly stressed him a lot. "Nah, it's nothing," he lied.

"You don't need to coddle me, Dean, I'm not a child."

Dean felt his lips begin to curl up, and he looked into deep blue eyes, resisting the urge to move in closer. Maybe it was good they'd been distracted downstairs, and they were stuck with Sam's dog for the night. He was leaving tomorrow after all, and he didn't want to hurt Cas; he liked him too much to do that. "Never said you were, Cas," he replied glibly.

The dark-haired guy seemed to think over that, and his gaze dipped. "I'm sorry, I'm being intense."

Dean began to laugh, and he reached out, grasping the side of the guy's face, tilting serious blue eyes back into view. "If that's your intense, then consider me smitten," he teased.

Cas blinked once, and then he said, his low voice hesitant. "You're making a joke?"

Dean grinned as he leaned in closer. "Yeah, a joke," he husked, and then his lips were pressing against Cas's. He felt fingertips touch lightly to his neck, and he coaxed lips apart so he could slip his tongue in, enjoying the simple feeling more than he had in a long time.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing..."

Dean woke slowly, he felt a small furry head press back against him, tickling his neck. Then there was tongue.

He cracked open bloodshot green eyes, Sam's puppy licking the underside of his chin, its little body wiggled until it was pressing against his bare chest. "No, bad dog," he mumbled, leaning his face away from the unwanted kisses.

"Dean, don't confuse him," Sam's voice called out unhappily, and Dean was rewarded with the removal of his furry bedmate.

"I'm not, he needs t'learn I don't want his sloppy kisses," he grumbled back halfheartedly, closing aching eyes, and then he felt another, larger body, one that he didn't mind so close brushing up against his front. He hummed sleepily, wrapping an arm reflexively around the exposed waist in front of him and draping a leg over the still sleeping guy's, tugging him closer. "Go 'way, Sammy, Cas's sleepin'," he murmured against the nape of Castiel's neck just below black locks.

There was a sigh, then the door clicked shut a few seconds later, and Dean grunted a breath as he drifted back to sleep wrapped comfortably around Cas.

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