I think maybe I should mention that I wrote this during the hiatus between season 8 and 9. All I knew was that Castiel had become human and that all the other angels had fallen. I didn't know if any angels still had their mojo or anything like that. So I guess this is kind of an AU, in which April didn't happen (i.e. Cas didn't have sexy tiems), and some other things. Just assume that this story branched off from canon SPN at the end of season 8. Obviously there's a bit of a time jump from the s8 finale to the start of this fic, but yeah... Just roll with it.

Dean woke up to silence.

He opened his eyes and looked around only to find that everything was exactly the same as it had been when he had fallen asleep, except that the rain had stopped and the sun was starting to rise outside. It wasn't light just yet. No obligation to get up. Despite the soreness in some of his muscles, Dean didn't want to move. Castiel was snoozing against his chest, drooling a little bit, and it was the sweetest thing he'd ever seen.

Dean rubbed his hands across Castiel's back and sighed into his hair. Cas squirmed a little and nuzzled in closer to Dean, who held him tighter.

"Morning?" mumbled Cas.

"Soon", said Dean quietly.

Cas yawned.

"Where's Sam?"

"He's sleeping", said Dean. He pressed his lips to Castiel's head. "We can sleep some more too, baby."

Dean froze. Oh goddammit, what had he said now? This was Cas, not a girl. And Cas wasn't even just a guy. Cas was mentally still part celestial being and he would surely not take a liking to being called-

Cas chuckled.

"That is a strange nickname."

"I'm sorry", said Dean quickly.

"You don't have to apologize. It's an endearing term, isn't it? In this circumstance, it does not refer to an infant."

"No", said Dean. "No, it means I- I care about you."

"Then feel free to call me that."

A rush of warmth traveled up Dean's body. He pulled Cas closer and pressed another kiss to the top of his head. He couldn't say the words yet, but he could do his best to show them.

Cas pulled on Dean's jacket to urge him backwards. When Dean moved – ever so little, because just an inch more and he would probably fall down and wake Sam and the moment would be gone – Cas scooted up a bit so his face was level with Dean's. He looked at him for a second, eyes welling with an emotion Dean couldn't identify, before he moved forward and pressed his lips to Dean's.

Dean was in shock at first. He had to take a moment and breathe in through his nose to realize that he was supposed to do something – kiss back, part his lips, move his hands, anything. He did all of it, his hands balling up into fists clutching the back of Castiel's jacket, lips parting to welcome his tongue and moving to take in more of him.

"'Ey Cas", Dean mumbled through the kisses – through, not in between, because Cas never pulled away. "There's a thing humans ha- Mmm… Have that's called… morning breath."

Cas finally pulled away.

"Do you care?" he asked.

"No", said Dean. Of course he didn't. He just wanted to make sure. He hadn't said that because he was nervous, not at all. Why would he be nervous? He knew Cas. Nah, Dean wasn't nervous in the slightest.

Except he was.

"Well then." And then Cas' lips were on his again.

As soon as Cas needed to pull away to breathe, Dean seized the opportunity to dip his head and have a go at his throat. He kissed and licked and nibbled his way up to the spot between Cas' jaw and earlobe, where apparently if teeth touched the skin, Cas' body went all soft – except for one particular part of it, on which it had the opposite effect – and he let out a moan.

"Oh, Dean…"

Fuck.

Had they promised Sam not to fuck each other right then and there in the Impala? Because it seemed like that could be a challenging promise to keep.

Dean sucked on the spot, licked and then nibbled again, harder this time just to see Cas' reaction. He whimpered and arched into Dean, every part of their bodies coming into contact under the trenchcoat. Dean smiled against Cas' skin when he felt his hardness against his own through way too much fabric. Dean ran his tongue over the now sore spot, and smirked.

"So that's a favorite spot of yours, huh?" he murmured. "I'm gonna have to remember that."

"Don't stop, Dean."

"Shut up, Cas."

Castiel pulled impatiently on Dean's jacket, his hands constantly switching places, never satisfied with were they were. He was panting slightly and there was a needy, almost pained expression on his face, as if he hadn't ever-

Oh god. He hadn't ever.

Dean hadn't thought about that. He hadn't ever with a dude and Cas hadn't ever at all. Dean would have to take charge and pretend like he knew what he was doing. He had to sell it to Cas and show him how great it is so he'd want to do it again. No pressure, Dean, no pressure at all.

But then Castiel's lips were on his again and Dean lost his train of thought. When he found it again, it was going in an entirely different direction. This was Cas, what did he have to worry about? It was Cas, his best friend, his angel who always came when he called. It would be okay.

"No don't shut up, baby, talk", Dean begged, stroking his fingertips up and down Castiel's sides. He aimed for Cas' throat again, intent this time on leaving a mark.

Cas probably wasn't ready for the sudden assault, because he yelped when Dean's teeth touched his skin and he started sucking. Cas twitched and almost pushed Dean off the seat. Dean shoved him into the backrest the best he could and concentrated on that one spot on Cas' neck while one hand wandered down to cup his ass.

"Ooh, Dean, you're… Oh, Dean… DEAN…"

Each time Cas said his name Dean applied teeth to the hickey he was making and pulled Cas closer, not so much because he wanted to get more out of the situation but because he had a hard time controlling himself, when that voice said his name in that needy, pleading way.

"Dean, you're amazing, I- Mmm…"

Dean was going to thrust his hips to shove Cas into the backrest again, but he did a little more than he intended to when he accidentally shoved his thigh in between Cas' legs, creating a dramatic increase in friction. Cas called out, probably as much in surprise as with pleasure, and seconds after that a shoe hit Dean in the head and he heard one of the car doors opening. Sam stumbled out and looked at them through the window with the most offended expression Dean could ever remember seeing on his face.

"OH MY GOD!" yelled Sam. "What is wrong with you?! I was right there! Oh my god!"

Dean couldn't help but laugh when Sam walked in wide circles outside the Impala, cursing loudly and only socks on his feet, to get himself together.

Cas and Dean took a while trying to get past one another and sit in their respective seats, not touching, as painful as it was to resist. Dean put the coat over their laps and gave Cas a meaningful look shooting from his face to his lap and back to his face when he looked puzzled.

"Oh", said Cas when he understood.

Not that it was a big secret, not that Sam hadn't figured it out, but it was the appropriate thing to do to keep it a mere uncomfortable thought in his brother's mind.

"Hey, Sam!" Dean called. Sam stopped and turned around to look at him, a few feet away from the car. "Get your ass in here so we can go."

Sam approached the Impala.

"You're not gonna drive?"

"Consider it a gift." Dean smiled. He could tell from Sam's face the split second he realized why.

But Sam didn't say anything. He simply took out his shoes – Dean handed him the one Sam had thrown at him and Cas – put them on, closed the shotgun door, walked around the hood and entered the driver's seat. He started the car and drove out on the road.

The weather was clear. The sun was rising in an almost cloud-free sky and the only evidence from last night's storm was the broken branches lying scattered on the road. Sam had to drive around a few of them.

When they reached the motel, the sun was up and people were starting their days, evident from the quiet movement visible further in the town which the motel lay on the outskirts of. Having parked the car, Sam turned to look at Castiel and Dean.

"You two get off here. I'll go get us some breakfast."

Dean was safe now, so he gave the coat to Castiel and stepped out of the car. Cas followed, carrying the coat in his hands. Sam rolled down the window when they were about to walk away.

"I'll be back in about fifteen minutes. Don't let me walk in on anything."

Dean smirked. Cas looked incredulous.

"We'll see about that", said Dean.

"Fuck you", said Sam, but before he rolled the window down and drove away, he smiled with a warmth in his eyes that told Dean he knew the magnitude of what had happened, and that he was so happy for his brother.

Stepping up the three steps of stairs to the wooden porch that stretched along the doors to the motel rooms, Cas' hand accidentally brushed against Dean's. Dean instinctively pulled back.

"Dean?"

Dean looked at Cas and noticed that Cas was looking at him too, with that squint he did when he was trying to figure something out.

"Hm?" Dean upped his pace, walking before Cas to the door.

"Isn't it custom for two humans that are romantically involved to hold hands as a public display of affection and belonging?"

Dean almost felt dizzy. Romantically. Affection. Belonging. Too many pink and fluffy words directed at him at once. He missed the lock and drove the key into the door. It left a mark.

"It's, uh, optional", he said, managing to get the key into the lock on the second try, and opening the door.

"I figure it would be a good way to let other people know that neither of us are available as mates", said Cas. Dean snorted. "Did I say something amusing?"

Dean grabbed Cas by the arm and guided him into the motel room. He closed and locked the door behind them and went to grab a beer from the fridge.

"Don't say 'mates'", said Dean. "You want one of these?"

"No thank you", said Cas. "What should I say?"

"Partn-" Dean stopped himself. Were they getting official already? Were they going to label it this soon? It was pretty clear what it was and what they both wanted, but… Already?

Cas put his coat over the backrest of one of the chairs around the small, round table before sitting down.

"What?"

Dean snapped out of the little vacuum of no time and space he had slipped into.

"I said, uh… Look, Cas, does it really matter?"

"Yes", said Cas seriously. "I am learning to be a human. I need to know how to speak like one so people won't find me strange."

Something stung in Dean's chest. Cas was aware that he didn't talk like most people. He was aware of what that made people think of him, and he didn't want them to think he was a freak.

Dean walked over to stand behind Cas. He leaned into him slightly, put a hand on his shoulder and rubbed it.

"You talk perfectly fine", said Dean. "Anyone who doesn't agree can go suck it."

"But if I am to make friends, I have to appear… appealing."

Another needle shot into Dean's heart. Cas wanted to make friends.

Dean put his bottle on the table and squatted next to Cas. He put one hand on Cas' leg, gripped his hand with the other, and looked him in the eyes.

"You haven't been human for a long time, Cas. You'll learn." Dean looked down, smiling, suddenly feeling coy. "And you're not exactly repulsive."

Dean felt Castiel's hand tighten around his own.

"But I am different."

Dean stood up, went to the fridge and got another bottle of beer. On his way back he pulled another chair close to Cas' and sat down on it, prying the bottle open against the edge of the table.

"You do want one of these", said Dean and handed the bottle to Cas, who hesitantly accepted. "Some people think different is good."

He opened his own bottle and took a long sip.

"Do you?"

Dean propped his legs up on Castiel's lap.

"Depends on what kinda different it is", he said. "Your different is perfect."

It pleased him that it sounded much less sappy than he'd thought it would. Castiel's face lit up with a small, grateful smile. He tried the beer, carefully, and once he'd swallowed, his eyebrows shot up in surprised approval.

"You were right", he said. "I do want one of these."

"Told you so."

They sat like that, quietly listening to the sound of their own breaths, for the rest of the time until Sam came back.