Dean woke up more peacefully than he had in a long time. The room around them was still dark, the full moon offering just enough lighting for Dean to find a pair of piercing blue eyes fixated on him, clearly unaware that he wasn't still asleep.

He heard Cas mumble something to himself and flash a reserved smile.

Dean didn't hear what he'd said, but it wasn't important. If he was mumbling it, then it wasn't yet meant to be heard.

"Hey, Cas." Dean said, stretching out and propping himself up on an elbow.

Dean saw Cas visibly jump, and heard the springs of the cheap mattress squeal beneath them.

"Dean!" He said, probably a bit louder than he'd meant to.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked with a smirk, giving him a hard time.

"Nothing! I'm sorry, Dean, I just, I-"

"Woah, dude! Don't worry! I was just kidding."

"About what?" Cas asked, strangely panicked.

"About you watching me, it's... it's a little creepy, but it's cute."

"I was... cute?"

"You're adorable, Cas. You're like an abandoned kitten who just wants a home." He smiled, but not a smirk this time, an honest-to-god smile.

"You're beautiful, Dean."

He broke out in goosebumps. The statement sounded almost too genuine to bear.

"May I kiss you?" Cas asked, voice catching a bit at the end.

"Please do." Dean replied.

Cas lifted his head from the pillow and placed it inches away from Dean's. The position was a bit awkward, so he quickly adjusted his arm to rest on Cas' hip. Cas looked down at toward his waist, and Dean could've sworn he saw a twinkle in his eye. Cas stayed in his place, feeling the other boy's breath hover on his lips.

"Cas," Dean prompted, whispering. "What are you waiting for?"

"I could ask you the same quest-"

And, before Cas could finish, Dean swooped forward and captured his lips into a perfect kiss. Until now, there hadn't been anything that could have been considered "making out" in their small kisses, but Cas felt the slippery slide of Dean's tongue brushing against his lips, and he couldn't help but allow the intrusion with a small moan.

Dean froze for a moment when he heard it. The single most hot thing he'd ever heard, without a doubt. That's it, he had a new favorite sound. It wasn't a noise either, it could only be considered a sound. Soft, delicate, and stunningly understated. He decided needed to hear it again.

But not tonight. Tonight wasn't about that, not the physical relationship. They'd both had something like that before, and that wasn't what they needed right now.

Dean broke away from Cas' mouth with a small pop, leaving it gorgeously red and swollen. He felt a bit of pride knowing he'd done that.

He caught himself staring after that. He looked into Cas' eyes until they eventually shut again, and he watched him sleep until he found himself doing the same.

A little creepy, but it's cute.

...

Dean woke up again on that Saturday morning. Well, 12:30 isn't usually considered to be morning, with the wind pushing a branch up against their window pane.

His eyes blinked sleepily in an attempt to focus. When they finally did, they settled upon Cas' sleeping silhouette, accented by the dim light filtered by the blinds.

He was stunning. That's it. Plain and simple. The navy bed-spread gently curved along the contours Cas' body. His hair was tousled in a billion different directions, it was perfectly disorganized. Dean couldn't help but run his hand through it. He wasn't changing it, but he was delighted when the strands seemed to lean into his touch.

"You're beautiful too, Cas." Dean whispered into the quiet room, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead. "I... You're so beautiful."

Dean heard a groggy moan from Cas, and looked up to meet his eyes, half-lidded with sleep.

"Dean, did you just-"

He kissed Cas quickly to prevent any further questions.

…

So far, the quiet ones were Dean's favorite. The barely-there kisses shared in the winter twilight, the ones that woke each other up, the ones that made them happy to be awake. They were the ones that said 'you can get through anything, because you aren't alone', and that was a message Dean desperately needed.

It was a bit strange, how quickly they'd all began to feel like a... dare he say it... family. Dean, Cas, Sam, and Gabe, all together, all providing, all caring. Of course his feelings toward each individual were extremely different, Sam would always be a priority, but that didn't mean that there wasn't room enough in his heart for other people. He and Gabe argued a lot. It wasn't easy having two older brothers, both trying to be the boss. But Gabriel was smart. He might not seem like it at times, but he knows how to manipulate people, specifically Dean, to get what he wants, and luckily what he wants is what's best for all of them. They were all moved in now. All of their things from the motel were gone. Either sold or brought along. It's not as if they didn't have to pay. Dean worked at the local Walmart on the weekends and brought home some of what he earned to help with the bills. Dean had told Gabe about his fund for Sam. He made a half-hearted joke in response, but Dean could tell, he understood. They worked out some kind of deal about what goes to the family-funds, so to speak, what goes to the college fund, and what goes into Dean's pocket. The final result was small, but he didn't mind. He had all he needed.

Dean was glad that Gabe and Cas kept to themselves. He didn't really appreciate visitors, and he wondered how he'd even begin explaining away them living together. However, just because people don't visit, doesn't mean people don't call.

"Hello?" Dean said, talking into the landline. Seriously Dean thought why do people still have these things?

"Uh... hello?" A confused feminine voice replied.

"Jo?" Dean asked.

"Wait a minute... Dean?"

"Hi there!"

"Why are you answering the phone?" Jo asked.

"What are you talking about? This is my-"

Oh.

Oh crap.

"Cas is in the bathroom and we were hanging out." Dean cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Okay." Jo said, seemingly accepting the lie. "So I guess I can cross two off my list."

"Sorry, what?"

"I'm having a little get together next Friday, you in?"

"Should I expect this to be just as 'little'as last time when half the school decided to show up?"

"No." Jo said, exasperated. "Just a few of us, really, just our friends."

"You promise?"

"I promise." Jo answered, and that was enough for Dean, he knew she didn't say that lightly.

Dean placed the mouth-piece of the phone on his shoulder and yelled up the stairs.

"Cas?!" He called.

"You know you can actually walk up here to see me, rather than screaming."

"Oh, you know you like it. Jo, party, friday... you in?" Dean asked, minimizing the amount of necessary words.

"Are you going?"

"Only if you are."

"Then I look forward to seeing you there."

Dean raised the phone back to his ear "We're in."

"Great!" She chirped.

…

They decided to walk to Jo's house. It wasn't far, and chances are they'd be a bit drunk so they'd rather not drive. About half way into the mile-long trek, Dean felt Cas' hand bump up against his. He looked over at his face just in time to see the lovely rosy color spread itself along his cheeks. He looked down to see that his hand had been balled into a fist. He stopped moving.

"What's wrong?" Cas asked, stopping with him.

"Nothing."

"Why did you stop?"

"I just wanted to try something." Dean replied

"And what would that be?"

"Give me your hand."

"What?"

"Come on, just give me your hand." Dean said, smiling.

Cas gently placed his hand in front of him, loosening it. Dean put the hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

"I've never done this before, you know."

"Done what?" Cas prompted.

"Held hands."

"Are we holding hands?"

"What do you mean?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, I guess I just always thought that people had to be walking to be holding hands."

"Let's start walking, then."

"Wait a minute."

"Why?"

"Now I want to try something."

Cas leaned forward before Dean had the chance to ask. It was hesitant, Cas reacher the corner of his mouth, but Dean quickly adjusted to get them in the right position. Cas pressed his lips to Dean's harder, peacefully shutting his eyes.

They broke away with a smooching sound that caused Dean to giggle a bit to himself.

"So that's what kissing you is like." Cas said, pressing his finger to his bottom lip, trying to reenact the sensation.

"Cas, we've kissed before." Dean said, still laughing.

"Sure, but you always kissed me. I wanted to know what it was like to kiss you."

"And what's the verdict?"

"It was inconclusive."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I'll have to do it again."

And so he did.

They got to Jo's house a half an hour late, but neither of them minded.

…

"There you are!" Jo exclaimed, upon seeing them walk down the basement stairs.

"Sorry we're late." Dean responded, even if it was a lie.

"You're just in time to play spin-the-bottle!" A remotely drunk Becky told them.

They both shrugged and took their seats next to one another, discreetly poking and pinching at each other whenever they got the chance.

"Dean!" Ruby called out, and he felt a wave of panic flush over him as he realized that the bottle had landed on him.

"Oh, uh, you know what, Ruby? I think I'll pass." Dean tried to come up with a valid excuse.

"Too bad, Dean-o, you know the rules."

"No, really. I'm sorry. It's nothing against you, I just..." The room fell silent, and Dean could swear he could hear Cas' heart beat coinciding with his own.

"'It's nothing against me'?" Ruby lamented. "Please tell me, Dean. How this could possibly not be meant to offend me."

"I promise! I like you just fine, Ruby. I would, but I..."

"But you what?!" She yelled.

Dean turned his head to Cas. He heard the heart beat get faster, then louder, then he felt a rougher-than-usual press of Cas' lips against his own, this time right on target. The kiss wasn't too long, just enough to dispel any possibility of either of them kissing anyone but each other at this get-together.

After their faces left each other, Dean couldn't help but swoop in for one last quick peck.

The room, once again, was silent. Dean wrapped his arm around Cas who then proceeded to nuzzle his head into the other boy's shoulder.

"Called it." They heard Chuck say from the corner.