"Sam called you my boyfriend," Dean blurted.

Castiel tilted his head. "Why are you telling me this?"

Dean blushed, and ran a flustered hand through his hair. "Uh, I don't know. Just...do we act like...?"

"We have not agreed to engage in a romantic relationship," Cas hedged.

"Yeah, but do we, I mean do I seem...nevermind."

Ordinarily he would've pushed the issue, but this particular issue...Cas didn't really feel like continuing a conversation about how uncomfortable Dean was with the idea of them being together.

"He was also saying something about angels not having a gender…"

"Yes? You know this."

"But, but you're a dude, right?"

"No."

"But we call you that all the time, and we call you 'he' and stuff."

"I do not mind. You could refer to me in whichever way you wish."

"But you're in a male vessel."

Cas' brow creased

"I inhabit a vessel which is usually inhabited by Jimmy, who is a male, yes. I do not understand what this vessel has to do with my lack of gender, though."

"But- well- I just...so you're not a dude?"

"No."

"And Gabriel's not a dude?"

"None of the angels are 'dudes,'" he held up air quotes. "And neither are they anything else. Your patriarchal society decided to describe us as male, to describe our father as male too, but the concept of gender did not yet exist when He created us."

"God? But He's a He, and He's your Father?"

Cas looked exasperated. "Well we are using your language. These are not the same things we say in Enochian. And even in English, these things are not necessarily indicative of gender."

"Okay," Dean said, hesitantly.

"Is this about you being afraid that Sam is gay?"

"I'm not afraid!"

"Well you do tend to be rather rude about those in same-sex relationships, and very defensive when someone implicates you."

"Well I'm not, you know…!" Dean waved his hands.

"Yes, you've made it incredibly clear," Cas said drily. "But regardless, Sam is not gay, I would've thought you'd know that better than me."

Dean blushed. "Well, I mean, that's the other thing. He said Jess had, uh, well she...didn't have a female body? So I mean, that's kinda...and Ruby was a demon, so she doesn't really count."

"Why do demons' genders not matter, but angels' do?"

"Well, I mean, she's still- I guess-," Dean stuttered. "I don't know!"

Cas frowned. "Jess was female, was she not?"

"Yes? I think? Sam said so…"

"And her body was her own?" Cas prompted.

"I mean, yeah. She was just human, so she wasn't like, possessing someone."

"So then her body was female." Cas concluded.

"Uh...I guess? I mean you get what I was saying though?"

"You seem to be very hung up on specific anatomy."

"Er, yeah."

"Why? I do not understand why these specifics concern you? What does body have to do with soul? You do not look anything like your soul. Your soul is vibrant, and always quivering with excited energy. Your body is rather monochrome and stoic. Does this change the fact that you are, in fact, energetic?"

"No," Dean relented. "But that's different!"

"How? I am an angel, but I look human, I am in a human body. Does that make me human?"

"No."

"Then what's different, Dean?"

"I don't know."

"Consider that it may simply be you, and your need to oversimplify and cling onto long held perceptions."

"Okay, but even if you're right, Sam is still messing around with Gabriel again, even though he fucked with his head!"

"You just want to have a problem, don't you?"

"No! The problems are just there!"

"Much like everything else we've talked about, it's not really your business, but Sam is fine."

"How do you know, and why will none of you tell me what he did?"

"It is only Sam's to tell, and he has determined it no longer important."

"But how do you know it's fine? Gabriel could still be fucking with him!"

"He's not. Sam will be fine, Gabriel cares about him, and wouldn't purposefully hurt or manipulate him."

"How can you be sure, though?"

"I trust my brother," Cas snapped. "And maybe you should trust yours. He is an adult."

"He doesn't always make the best decisions though."

"But they are his decisions to make. Was this all you wanted to talk to me for?"

Dean opened and closed his mouth silently. After several moments, he cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah. I guess. Thanks."

Castiel nodded once, and disappeared with a soft swish.

Dean stared at where Cas had been standing, and sighed. Why did things always have to be so complicated?