A/N: Sorry this took a couple days. I rewrote the ending of this chapter three times.


The next morning, Castiel woke up right on time. He went through his morning routine as he'd done for the past few weeks. At 7:55, he was entering Der Waffle Haus. As per usual, he was the second to arrive, Michael being the first. Michael greeted him with the same curt nod before looking Castiel directly in the eyes.

"We need to talk," he announced.

Castiel looked up from where he was studying the menu. "About?" Cas asked.

"About your relationship with the living," Michael answered.

Castiel's eyes narrowed. "What relationships?"

"I don't know who they're with. What I do know is that you've been..friendly," he said, choosing his words carefully, "with some of the living. While that's fine, they are going to one day die or realize that you're not aging. What are you going to do then?" Michael asked.

Castiel nodded. "I- I understand," he finally responded.

"Good," Michael said, leaning back.

The other three came in, effectively putting an end to any further discussion.

Breakfast was a quick matter, and then Michael was handing the lists out. Castiel read his quickly, relief washing over 2:30, giving him an hour to visit with Dean before he'd have to leave. He, along with Balthazar, Meg, and Ruby, left.

"Castiel, don't forget what I said!" Michael called out after them.

Once safely out on the sidewalk, Meg stared at Castiel. "Don't forget what?" she questioned.

"It's nothing, Meg," he answered in a tone that suggested that anything else on the matter would be ignored. Then, he turned and walked away. Castiel didn't want to deal with the others right then. He just wanted it to be one already, so he could see Dean. It didn't even matter that Dean had no idea he actually was Cas.

-x-

Cas spent the time in his room at the reaper house. He was rearranging it, trying to make it more his, less Gabriel's. He wanted to completely redo the room, but that was a task for another day.

At 12:40, he halted his work, pulled his trenchcoat on, and left the house. He headed through the town on foot, enjoying the walk; he'd walked most places while alive, and he planned to continue that habit. Fifteen minutes later, he was entering the diner. Dean wasn't there yet, but he still had about five minutes until he was supposed to arrive.

Castiel located an empty table and sat down. After a few minutes waiting, Dean was walking through the doors.

"Hey," Dean greeted him, taking in the tan trenchcoat.

"Hello," Cas said back, not missing Dean's sharp intake of breath at seeing the familiar trenchcoat.

"My friend, he, uh, he had a trenchcoat. Just like that one," Dean said as a way of opening conversation as he sat down.

"What was his name?" he asked, knowing that was the proper question, even if he already knew who it was.

Dean looked down at his hands before looking back up. "Cas. His name was Cas."

Castiel nodded. He was unsure of what to say next, but he was saved by Dean continuing to speak.

"He was my best friend. Hell, he probably would have been something more, had he not been hit by that fucking car," Dean paused as a waitress came over. It was Ashley, the reapers normal waitress. And she knew each reaper by name - their actual name.

Cas tried to give her a look, warn her against calling him by his real name, but she apparently took no notice as she greeted him. "Hey, Castiel! This isn't when you're usually here," she glanced at Dean before continuing. "Who's your friend?"

Castiel winced at the use of his name, not missing the suspicious look Dean sent his way. "This is Dean," he said weakly.

"So, what'll you two be getting?" she asked, her notepad in hand.

Castiel ordered what he usually got, coffee - black - and pancakes, while Dean, still giving him that suspicious glare, ordered a burger. Ashley assured them it would be out soon, and then walked away.

"Castiel, huh?" Dean asked, sounding pissed. "What was that about?"

Castiel sighed. "Dean, it's nothing. Jimmy's my nickname. Castiel is my real name. Nothing more."

Dean didn't look satisfied with that answer, but he decided to let it go. "Alright, if you say so," he answered, a touch of suspicion still there.

A silence settled over the two, Dean not wanting to say anything further, Cas not wanting to push him.

Ashley returned with their food soon, and they began eating, the silence stretching out. Once finished, Cas checked his watch. He still had half an hour before he had to leave. "Dean," he began before Dean cut him off.

"Don't apologize. It's just, hearing you get called Castiel, while wearing that damn trenchcoat, and having your damn bluer than blue eyes...it reminded me of Cas. His full name? Castiel."

Castiel immediately found himself regretting wearing the coat. He didn't mean to hurt Dean, and the rest of the reminders weren't exactly his fault. But why did he have to wear the fucking trenchcoat. Berating himself internally for it, Castiel completely missed what Dean said next.

Dean had, quite obviously, known that what he'd said had, on some level, upset Cas. "Can I still call you Jimmy?" Dean asked hesitantly, repeating what Castiel had clearly missed.

Cas nodded in response, feeling absolutely miserable. He didn't trust himself to say anything, though, so he kept his mouth shut.

Dean sighed and started up again. "Jimmy, I'm sorry to have just dumped that all on you. It's not your fault."

"It's fine, Dean."

"No, it's not!" Dean almost yelled, earning the concerned look of the other people in the diner. He continued in a quieter voice, "I just met you. You don't deserve to have some stranger," Cas tried to cut in there, but Dean continued speaking, "come along and throw this all at you."

"Dean, you aren't a stranger," Castiel paused to take a deep breath. His mind was racing ahead, trying to figure exactly what to say. Tell Dean the truth? Now would be the best chance. But chances were, Dean wouldn't believe him. Besides, Michael would have his head on a plate for even considering it. "You're my friend."

Dean shook his head. "Even so, we've just met, and I don't tell this stuff to just anyone." Dean closed his eyes, not saying anything else.

Castiel didn't know what to say. He used to be able to immediately know the correct thing to say. But now, after nearly a month away from him, aside from the occasional short conversation, he didn't know what to say. He'd been Dean's rock when his father had died, four years ago. And now..Castiel had no idea what words Dean would need.

"Dean," he started, wanting to say something, anything. But, as it was, his watch started beeping, alerting him that it was two o'clock, and therefore time for him to go. "I'm sorry, but I have to go now," Cas said as he stood. He didn't wait for Dean to ask about it before he threw some money down on the table and practically ran out.