Author's note: I am running a little late, so this isn't proofread. You find any mistakes, please let me know. Thanks, guys.

Dean had no idea what he was doing. Cas being there in his apartment, safe and sound, made him feel immense relief, but now he had a whole new problem - getting him to stay. It worked, or so Dean hoped, to bribe him with favors and loans, but at the end, nothing could really prevent Cas from leaving (short from Dean actually breaking his leg - wait, what? Where did that come from?).

And sure, they had a great time the whole day, but as nighttime neared, Dean realized he didn't even have basic essentials in his home, since he hadn't been here much anyway. Having to leave Cas alone in the apartment was a real test, not just to see if Cas would stay, but also for Dean to deal with the anxiety.

It never once occurred to him to think of it as leaving a stranger in his home, because Cas was no stranger, and despite the possibility of him running away, Dean still trusted that he won't. Trusted that Cas needed something stable and safe.

So yes, he was relieved to find him in the exact place he left him, on the couch, watching TV. Cas insisted on helping with the groceries any way he could, and of course Dean let him. He would smile whenever Cas' quirkiness came out, simply loving it about him. They spent the whole evening together and Dean never laughed or enjoyed himself as much as he did then.

There was just something about Cas that kept pulling him, drawing him in. It wasn't just a simple attraction, it was more. Yes, Dean wanted to kiss him, wanted it almost since he met him, he wanted to touch him, but he also wanted to hold him close, to protect him. He learned in this short time that Cas was an introvert, a shy asocial person, and that if it wasn't for the shelter, Cas would never step out into the world. And to loose his home, his safe place, it must have been devastating for him. Inch by inch, Dean grew to be his strength. Each day, Dean took it upon himself to be that bridge Cas needed, a bridge between him and the rest of the world. Even more so now, that Cas decided to stay.

Spending time with him, just watching TV and talking was the most fun Dean had in ages. Cas was smiling too, and he was more relaxed then Dean ever saw him. It was so easy being with him, listening to him talk, watching him smile. Dean knew he liked Cas from the start, but now, he could honestly say - he was slowly falling for him. (Who are you kidding, Dean, you're already a goner.)

Dean did not expect a slam in the face when he followed Cas to the spare room, wishing to make sure Cas had an extra blanket if he needed one. Searing white pain blinded him for a moment, but he managed to quickly compose himself so that he wouldn't scare Cas. He could feel the blood tickling down his hand, and he hurried to the bathroom to stuff his nose full of toilet paper and clean himself up. He must have looked horrible, all covered in blood. A second too late, he realized he ran off on Cas, and by declining his help, he might have pushed him away, and that certainly wasn't what he wanted.

Dean gasped coming out of the bathroom, because Cas wasn't in the hallway where Dean left him. If there was any reason why Cas would run, hurting Dean, making him bleed would be the thing to scare him. Taking a deep breath and trying to stay calm, Dean walked to the spare room door, knocked and hoped to God Cas was there. "Cas? You okay?" He almost whispered, fearful that there won't be a response.

"Hey, man, it's okay. Really. I'm fine. I just wanted to make sure you are too." He said, sounding nasal. His nose, his face hurt, but he didn't care. Cas was not answering and Dean could feel his heart rate elevate. "Cas? You in there?"

Hearing that "Yes." was such a fucking relief, Dean felt he might just slump down on the ground. "Yes, I am here. I am sorry Dean." The voice on the other side said, sad and regretful and Dean knew he had to sooth him. So he told him he will be fine, nothing a little ice-pack wouldn't fix. The truth was, Dean was kind of used to being punched in the face, either by protecting Sammy in school, or later getting into fights over girl and with assholes who didn't know how to take no for an answer. Or nowadays, when he exposed someone and they managed to find him. Which was rare, and even if they did, Dean knew how to avoid getting hit. He still remembered that asshole Adler from the Sandover exposé, and how pathetic he was. He took a swing and Dean just took a step back, so the guy lost his balance, tripped and fell face first, braking his own nose in the process.

Luckily, Dean's nose wasn't broken this time, but it did hurt like a son of a bitch and Dean went to fish an ice pack from the freezer before going to bed. AS he laid there in his room, head turned to the ceiling and the ice pack obstructing his vision, forcing him to keep his eyes closed, Dean couldn't help but think about Cas again. How strong he seemed, how despite loosing his home, he fought through, not once asking for help, or whining, or... Giving up. He kept on fighting.

Dean couldn't honestly say he could have handled it as well as he did. Spending three months on the streets was only bearable because Dean knew it would end. That he would come home one day and not worry about having a bed to sleep in, or food to eat. Cas didn't have that. He couldn't see the end, the finish line. Or could he? Was there someone he was waiting for? What about that brother of his? What happened to him? Did they have a fight? Would Cas contact him if things really went sideways? How bad would it have to get for Cas to ask for help?

Or would he still try to shovel it all by himself?

Dean tried to convince himself that it didn't matter now, that he was with Dean, in his apartment, just beyond that wall, sleeping soundly. He was there. He was safe. That's all that mattered.

He lay in his bed for a long time, unable to fall asleep, listening to any sound beyond that wall. He wanted to, he tried to sleep, but he just couldn't. Because, what if he fell asleep and Cas took off? His room was closer to the front door, and Dean wouldn't even hear him sneak out. It ate him up, the thought that Cas might do that, even if his gut was telling him otherwise.

Dean jumped at the first muffled sound, the ice pack flying away from his face, but paused by his bed, reeling it in. What if that was just his imagination? Cas could be just rolling over in bed, it didn't have mean anything, right? Maybe he should check? Just to make sure?

Dean tiptoed out of his room and through the hallway, listening in, but there was no sound, nothing. He leaned into the door, considering if he should try and take a peek, but ultimately chose not to, respectful of Cas' privacy. Dean turned to sneak back to his room when he heard it - a small whimper, barely audible. Was Cas crying?

Fighting the urge to enter that door, Dean stood outside in the hallway for a good few minutes, his instincts screaming at him to go, to move. Dean didn't know what to do. Fortunately, or unfortunately, a loud cry decided for him.

Like a storm, Dean swooped in, crashing trough the door, calling out to Cas. He rushed to his side, his warm hands settling down on man's shoulders as he tried to wake him. He watched, heart torn as Cas trashed in bed, sobbing and pleading, and Dean tried to wake him, but couldn't.

"Cas! Cas!" He called out, coming closer, setting a knee on the bed to try and calm Cas down. As soon as Cas felt him near, he turned to him, reaching and grabbing his shirt, dragging him even closer.

Finally, Dean sat in the bed, wrapped his arms around the crying man and shushed him, letting his own body's warmth be a comfort for Cas. "I'm here. It's okay, I'm here. I'm not gonna let anyone hurt you, not gonna let anything happen to you, alright? I'm here." He said as Cas buried his head in Dean's chest, relaxing just a bit, despite the heavy beating of Dean's heart. It was scary, seeing Cas like that, but Dean tried to calm down, to tell himself it was just a nightmare, nothing more. Nightmares aren't that uncommon, and Cas had a lot on his plate nowadays, so it was only natural he needed time to adjust.

Maybe Dean taking him to his home wasn't such a good idea? Not without him consenting to it? Maybe he should have waited for Cas to come to, and then ask him, persuade him then. Maybe it was a shock for him to wake up in a strange place, almost naked, even if he didn't show it. Maybe Cas was just good at hiding his emotions?

Shit. If that's the case, and Dean was reading this whole thing all wrong, maybe Cas didn't even like him, maybe he was just putting up with him? Dean basically forced himself into Cas' life by taking the only thing that Cas ad outside his home - the shelter. Cas never said anything, nor showed that it bothered him that Dean was there, but what if he did mind? What if he still hated Dean over what he did? Over that damn article?

Dean stared into the distance, sitting at the headboard of Cas' bed, his chest aching, feeling like something inside was crumbling to pieces. It became stuffy, getting harder to breathe. What if he hurt Cas even more with all these things he did? What if by trying to make amends, he unintentionally hurt him again? Dean tried to wrench himself from under Cas, feeling the bubbling of panic in his lungs, but Cas held on tight. Dean tried to carefully slip his hands away, but Cas only tightened his grip. The third time Dean tried, Cas started to whimper. The sound made Dean silently gasp, made him stay rooted to the spot. Last thing he wanted was to hurt Cas again, but he just didn't know what to do.

He certainly didn't want to make it more awkward, and if he stayed, and Cas woke up to find him in his bed... Dean dared not imagine what he might think. Maybe if he just waited a bit, waited for Cas to fall into a deeper slumber, he might be able to sneak out of bed? Yeah, wait a bit, and once Cas was settled, he would go back to his room.

Dean glanced down at the sleeping man in his arms. He didn't want to think how good it felt, how right it felt. He shouldn't allow himself to think like that, because there was a chance he was hurting Cas more than he thought and the notion was scary. It was the last thing he wanted. But how could he make this right? Cas was such good guy, and by the looks of things, he has been tricked and cheated a lot, especially if he was working for Crowley. That douche has been Dean's target for years, he just couldn't find any tangible dirt on him. Cas deserved to work for someone better, someone who would pay him better, because Crowley was a cheapskate.

Cas deserved so much. He was kind and giving, and caring and so amazing. He treated everyone the same, smiled at everyone and really tried his best. The world needed more people like that. As if Cas sensed his thoughts, he stirred on his sleep, sliding a bit lower, off Dean's chest and to his stomach, nuzzling in it and humming with content.

Maybe Cas just needed the warmth of a human touch. Beside his brother, Dean didn't think Cas had anyone else in his life, so it was possible. It wasn't just that Dean wanted to be the one to do that for him, he was definitely falling for him. His hand reached and he stroked the man's hair once, letting put a shaky breath in anticipation of Cas's reaction. Another appreciative hum accompanied by a small smile made something warm up in Dean's chest and he finally relaxed. Maybe he did scare Cas, but his touch was welcome and it made Cas feel better, and it was all that mattered. Cas deserved so much.

Planting a small kiss on the top of his head, Dean continued to stroke his hair, feeling warm and fuzzy with Cas sound asleep in his arms. It felt good. It felt right. And with those thoughts in mind, Dean dozed off.

He felt something shift, and he slowly came to, his neck screaming at him. It took him a moment to remember where he was and why he was sleeping in such a terrible position. Opening his eyes, Dean saw Cas' bright blue eyes staring at him and he froze, his hand sliding off the man's back. He felt a wave of panic crash though him and he knew he needed to explain and hope Cas would understand. "Sorry, I'm sorry." He rushed to say. "You had some really intense nightmare and when I came to wake you, you clung onto me and wouldn't let go and I..."No, this wasn't Cas' fault, it was mine."... I couldn't push you away. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stayed, I know..."Fuck!"...I know how this must look..."Shit, shit, shit!

Oh!

Cas leaped forward, hugging him tight and Dean thought he saw a glimpse of tears forming in his eyes. "Thank you. Thank you, Dean." he said, clinging on and Dean did the only thing that felt right. He reached again, stroked his hair and then wrapped his arms around him, pouring all the comfort and care into the hug.

"Anytime, Cas. Anytime."

They stayed like that for a moment too long, Dean holding tight enough to provide comfort, loose enough so that if Cas wanted out, he could easily back away. When Cas let go, he had the most adorable blush on his cheeks, and even if he was clearly embarrassed, he lingered close. "I'm sorry." He said, and Dean felt like all they ever did was apologize to one another. "I guess it all caught up to me."

"Of course, don't sweat it. I am glad I could be here for you." Dean replied, his breath silently hitching when those vibrant blue eyes rose up to meet his. They were so big and sad and Dean's heart ached at the sight. "Look, I... I want you to understand something. I am really happy that you are staying, and I want you to stay even after your leg heals. I... I care about you, alright? I care about you a lot, and I ant you to be safe and healthy and I want to help, any way that I can. You just gotta let me. Tell me what you need, and I'll do my best to make it happen."

Cas stared at him for a few moments, eyes even wider, clearly affected by what Dean said. "You... You care about me?" Dean paused, just looking at him, then took a deep breath and released it.

"I do. I care about you a great deal, Cas."

"Oh."

"I know I fucked up... Before. And I am trying to fix it, and I realize now that I might be a little pushy, but... I can't help it. I need to know you're alright, so... Please let me help you. Let me take care of you. Stay here with me. Please." Dean hated how pathetic he sounded, but it was how he felt and he thought Cas deserved to know.

"I... I'm not... I don't know..." Cas said looking a bit uncertain, his eyes averted, but not pulling away, still staying in Dean's arms.

"Please." Dean whispered, not knowing what else to say, how else to persuade him. He listened to Cas's steady breaths for a few moments, hoping to get a positive answer, but none came. To his amazement, Cas only leaned back down on him, set his head on Dean's chest and snuggled close, tightening his grip around Dean. They stayed like that for a little while, just breathing, Dean lolling into the pleasant feeling of having Cas in his arms. Soon, too soon, Cas pulled away.

"I need to... I need to use the bathroom." He said sheepishly and Dean nodded with a small smile.

"I should get the coffee started, maybe breakfast too. What do you feel like eating?" Dean asked and Cas paused just as he got off the bed.

"I... Anything. I don't have any preferences."

"There has to be something you like?" Dean tried and Cas averted his eyes, still looking uncertain and a bit timid. "Come on, I know there has to be something you like more then other things... Oh, wait, I know! Honey. You like honey, right?" Dean said and smiled when Cas snapped his eyes at him, surprised.

"I... I do." He replied, barely audible.

"Well then - I think I have the perfect solution. How would you like to eat Honey French toast with vanilla ice-cream and strawberries?" Dean said and chuckled at Cas's expression, the man began almost drooling over the mage Dean portrayed. And yes, Dean knew it was a bit too sweet for breakfast, but he didn't care, he just wanted to indulge himself and Cas. Besides, a little extra sugar was recommended after a hard night.

They spent the next two days together at Dean's home, talking, watching TV, playing cards, but also sneaking glances and touches, purely platonic, or so Dean tried to tell himself. "You need me, I'll just be a shout away." Dean would tell him each night as they retreated to the bed, but Cas didn't have another episode like the one on that first night. On the morning of the third day, the rain finally stopped and Dean suggested they go out into the yard for some fresh air. Cas still had stitches, so he couldn't walk too far, but a few extra steps out to the open terrace was manageable.

"It's beautiful out here." Cas said as Dean came back out and set two plates with bacon and eggs to the small table he cleaned beforehand.

"Sure is. It was one of the reasons I took the place. It cost a bit more, but unlike the apartments above that only have the balcony - this little patch of grass is all mine." Dean replied. Cas seemed to consider this, deep in thought and eyes somewhere distant as they finished their meal.

"When I... When I get these stiches out, I'll go back to Crowley and ask for my job back. Then, I could help with the rent. If... If that's ok?" He suddenly said and Dean paused on his last bite. He wanted to say that wasn't necessary, because Dean could afford having Cas there, but he also knew that if this was the way to get him to stay, he will accept it. Still one thing bugged him.

"Don't get me wrong, I won't insist you don't owe me anything, and if you want to contribute, I won't stay in your way. But I have to say, I don't like you working for Crowley. I know the guy, he is a sleazebag and considering how good you are and how fast you helped me with my article, I would be willing to bet he was underpaying you." Dean said. It occurred to him before, to try and find a job for Cas in his newspapers, but he would have to talk to Naomi first and then try and persuade Cas, but that would take time, so he didn't want to offer that yet, not wishing to get his hopes up.

"Crowley is..." Cas started, but whatever he was trying to say was interrupted by a doorbell. Seeing the confusion on Cas' face along with a hint of fear, Dean smiled his most reassuring smile as he go up.

"That's probably Zeke, coming to check up on you, he said he would stop by today." Dean said, walking towards the door. When he came back with the good doctor in tow, he saw that Cas remained seated, with his hands in his lap, looking so small, and he just wanted to go and wrap his arms around him. Cas clearly had an aversion for new people, despite having met Zeke before. Such deep trust issues were worrying Dean a bit, but there was not much he could do about it now. He needed Cas to let him in first.

Cas didn't say one word as Zeke checked his wound, only hissed once when the doctor probed at it a bit to roughly, nor did he lift his gaze up in all the time Zeke was there. The doc must have picked up on Cas' discomfort, so after he said that the wound looked good and could come back in three days to take out the stiches, he excused himself, declining the offered coffee. On his way out the door, he only told Dean he was taking good care of Cas and that he should keep it up, all with a reassuring smile on his face, then turned and left.

"Does it hurt?" Dean asked coming back out to the yard. "You want to go lay down?"

"No, I am good. Thank you." Cas replied, his cheeks burning red. "I wish to stay out here, if that's alright."

"Of course it's okay, Cas. I gotta go run some errands, but I won't be long... Um, how about... Wait." Dean said, then rushed inside. Coming back, there was a pillow in his hand and a book on top of it and a bottle of water in the other. He gave Cas the book and the bottle and pulled up an empty chair, setting the pillow on top of it. Then he knelt down, and helped Cas lift his leg up on it, making sure he was comfortable. "You enjoy yourself out here, keep that leg elevated and I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Jiffy?" Cas said with a lifted brow, but an amused smile tugged at his face.

"Yeah, yeah, I have a spirit of an old lady with a bunch of cats. Shuddup." Dean replied blushing, but managed to make Cas smile, so he figured it was worth the embarrassment. Still, the moment he left the house, just like a few days ago, some sort of dread crept inside his chest and didn't let go until he came back.

Things that would normally take two hours, he completed in half an hour and rushed back to the apartment, only to find Cas exactly as he left him, sitting outside and reading. The man smiled when he saw Dean return, and gave him a small wave, then went back to his book.

Dean decided to let him have his peace, not wishing to bother him too much (read: suffocate), so he went around the apartment, cleaning, putting things away, loading the washer and lastly, starting the vacuum. He was focused on what he was doing, or rather too focused on thinking about Cas and that smile.of his to notice what he was doing, and yelped when he walked himself backwards into a warm set of hands.

"Dean! I've been trying to get your attention, your phone is ringing!" Cas shouted over the vacuum as he stopped Dean's daydreaming, and Dean reached and shut the vacuum off, feeling embarrassed all over again. His phone was vibrating and ringing angrily and Dean picked it up to see it was Charlie.

"Hey, Red. What's up?"

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?"

"Whoa, take it down a notch, Mother Weasley. I haven't heard the phone over the vacuum."

"Those idiots ruined everything! Thanks to them, we will break the deadline for the first time in history!"

"Hey, whoa, stop. Breathe. What happened?"

"Beavis and Butthead crashed the servers, that's what happened!"Charlie still kept shouting, and Dean knew exactly who she meant. Bobby and Billy were the new kids Naomi hired over Charlie, and it turned into an argument between the two because the kids were inexperienced, but Naomi though that since they were young and somewhat computer-skilled, they would learn. Charlie said that being a gamer didn't mean they were computer skilled, especially when it came to editing. Naomi's response was condescending when she said they could just use an app. Charlie was furious.

It was no secret that Naomi wanted to bury the digital department.

"You got backup copies, right?" Dean tried. He wasn't as good with computers as Charlie was, but then again, he doubted many people were.

"Of course I have! Had! I had backup copies, but they managed to delete those too. I was able to salvage older data, the originals, but not anything saved after those two idiots logged on for the first time. I don't even get how they managed this, they can't even type out basic html code, for fuck's sake!"

Charlie using cuss words always spelled trouble, and Dean knew this was serious. Her department was rather new, the paper entering the modern age and he knew if they broke the deadline, the heads were gonna blame her and either demote her or fire her.

"Okay, calm down, I am sure we can..."

"500.000 words Dean!"

"Oh, fuck!"

"Even if Gilda and I worked all night, we won't be able to pull it off."

"Maybe I can help?" Dean offered. He did help Charlie out before when she was understaffed, and he wasn't very good, but it was better than the raw material.

"Thanks, Dean, but I don't think that would be enough."Charlie replied, her voice so small all of a sudden. Worried he lifted his gaze and met Cas' curious and questioning eyes. He was going to do this anyway, and what better timing right? Besides, going over Naomi's head and pissing her off would just make all this so much sweeter, especially since she would have to allow Cas in after the stunt she pulled.

"What if... What if I had someone to help to?" He asked, the question directed not only at Charlie but also at Cas. The man piped out, straightening and spoke at the same time Charlie did.

"What do you need me to do?""Can he edit?"Dean raised a finger and pulled the phone down. He wanted to explain to Cas slowly and carefully, but there wasn't really much time, and Cas seemed eager to help, eager to have a task, so maybe this would be good for him in other ways too, and not just as a really good job interview. Dean pulled the phone down and pressed the screen.

"Red, you're on speaker. I'm here with Cas, and I know he can help."

"Have you ever done any editing?"

"I have been working for Crossroads Publications for the past two years, before that I was a freelancer. I have a Linguistics degree and a degree in Modern Literature." Cas said plainly, as if that was no big deal.

"And computer skills?"Charlie asked, something breathy in her voice.

"I am not that good, but I can type fast, and use some coding in Excel." Cas replied and Dean already knew what Charlie was thinking. She could embellish the final product as long as all the text was edited. "When is your deadline, and what is the word count?" Cas asked.

"Tomorrow, noon. Half a mil."Twenty four hours for that many words was a lot, Dean knew that.

"If we start now, I can have it done by 6 am." Cas said.

"Dude! You serious?"Charlie asked, and her expression probably mirrored Dean's baffled one.

"Quite. It can be done. I just need a computer and the text, of course and... " Cas said looking up at Dean. He frowned, regarding Dean and falling deep in thought for a moment. "Would you be alright with me doing this?"

"Screw Dean! You do this, I am giving you BB's paycheck and a job."

"Hey!" Dean protested with a smile on his face.

"Oh, shut up, I know you don't mind. Seriously, Cas, if you pull this off, I am hiring you whether you like it or not."

"What about Naomi?"

"Screw her! I am the head of the digital department, I saw who stays and who goes. Listen, I'll upload what I have on a cloud and send you guys the link so that you can download it and start working. As soon as you finish a section, shoot it back up so I can start here on my end, okay?"

"Sure thing Red."

"And Cas?"

"Yes?"

"Dinner's on me."