Dean stared at Sam for a moment, not knowing how to respond. He never thought that Sam would hear him say that he loved Cas. Dean hadn't planned on telling him any time soon.

"You weren't supposed to hear that," Dean muttered.

"But I did."

"Ugh. Shit."

Dean pulled up a chair next to Sam and sat at the table alongside him. He never wanted to have this conversation, but he knew he needed to now.

"I've known for a long time, Dean."

"What?"

"That you love Cas. I've known. I think I just needed to hear you say it."

"How the hell could you have known that?"

"You're my big brother. I know you better than anyone else in the world. It's the way you look at him, the way you talk to him, how you acted when he was missing… it's everything."

Dean sighed. "I guess."

"I didn't really leave anything at the library," Sam confessed abruptly.

"So, what, you wanted to leave us alone?"

"Yeah."

"Oh."

"Does he know?"

"That I love him? No. I was hoping he'd heard my prayer, y'know, the one from last night. I thought maybe that's what made him come back, like one of those cheesy things that you read in shitty romance novels where the power of love saves the day and everybody lives happily ever after."

"What shitty romance novels have youbeen reading?"

"Not my point, Sammy."

"Are you gonna tell him?"

Dean hesitated. "No."

"Why not?"

"He's an angel, Sam. Angels don't have feelings. I mean, I know it's Cas, but love is such a strong emotion I don't think any angel could feel it. At least not towards a human."

"You never know."

The two brothers sat and talked, really talked, for the first time in a while. They discussed love, heartbreak, losses, angels, demons, and just about everything they hadn't mentioned for a long, long time. Beers were opened and drank, and the television was turned on. Sam occasionally cracked a joke and Dean would laugh, and Sam would laugh, and they would laugh together and be brothers again for the first time in a year. Dean hadn't been there before, not really, while Cas was gone, because a part of him was missing.

The sun set and the stars shone brightly in the sky. The moon was nearly full, casting some light through the window of the dim motel room.

Sam and Dean headed off to their beds around midnight. Sam's mind was rushing with happiness because Dean was finally returning to his old self, the brother that he had grown up with. Dean's mind, on the other hand, was full of confusion. He was ecstatic, of course, because he now knew that Cas was alive. But he didn't know if Cas was safe, or where he had been.

He also didn't know if Cas loved him back.

Dean wanted more than anything to be with the angel all the time, to hold him in his arms, to kiss him on the forehead, the cheek, the mouth – really, anywhere – and to tell him he loved him and hear it in return.

He tossed and turned in the sheets, unable to rid his mind of thoughts of Cas. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep.

Dean pulled the covers off of him and sat at the edge of the bed. He put his head in his hands and took a deep breath.

"Cas," he whispered, "if you can hear me, I kinda need to talk to you right now."

Nothing.

Minutes passed. Still nothing.

Dean crawled back into bed, disappointed. He assumed that Cas still couldn't hear him, which sucked a lot, to say the least. Dean turned over and shut his eyes, hoping that if he lay still for long enough he'd at least get a couple hours of rest.

After around an hour, his mind began to clear of all troubled thoughts and he drifted off into a deep sleep. It ended just as quickly as it started.

"Dean."

Dean groaned and turned over.

"Dean, wake up."

"Dammit, Sam, do you have something against me and sleep?" Dean grunted, half-asleep.

"It's not Sam."

Dean opened his eyes fully to see Cas sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Cas, what the hell? Could you have picked a worse time?"

"My apologies. I wanted to make sure we wouldn't be interrupted."

Dean looked over at Sam, who was still sound asleep in his bed.

"I don't wanna wake Sam."

Cas motioned for Dean to follow him. He got off of the bed and began to head for the door. Dean sat up slowly, exhausted, and hesitated for a moment before putting his feet on the ground. He was excited to talk to Cas again, but his brain was aching for some rest. He followed Cas out the door, grabbing a coat on his way out.

Dean shut the door quietly behind him. Cas looked over his shoulder to make sure Dean was still following him and stopped. Dean approached him to speak, but Cas interrupted his thought.

"I'm sorry I ran off before."

"It's alright, but why'd you leave?"

"I didn't know what to say to you. I don't like it when you're angry with me."

"I'm not mad at you, Cas, I'm just… frustrated. That's all."

"Why?"

"I'm worried. You won't tell me where you've been, and it makes me think that you're not safe."

"Don't worry about me, Dean. I'm an angel. I'm meant to look over you, not the other way around."

"I need to worry, Cas. I don't want anything to happen to you."

Cas looked directly into Dean's eyes and took a step closer to him. "Nothing will happen to me."

"I don't know that for sure, Cas. I've lost a lot of people before. I'd rather not lose one more."

"Why do you keep worrying? I'll be fine, Dean. I promise."

"I don't think you can promise me that."

"Why not?"

"Because you won't tell me where you've been. I don't like secrets, Cas."

"I'm sorry, Dean, but that's the way it has to be."

"Cas, it's just… I…" Dean's brain was too tired to form a sentence that described what he felt. His drowsiness was taking hold, and it was growing difficult for him to make conscious decisions.

So he grabbed Cas by the waist and kissed him. Cas didn't resist.

The kiss was short and sweet, but Dean took in every second. Cas's lips were soft and filled him with warmth, despite the cold temperature. It felt like nothing else existed and time stopped, and for that moment, there was Dean, and there was Cas, and they were together, and there was nobody else in the whole universe.

Dean was the one who pulled away. For a moment the two of them just looked at each other, neither one wanting to speak. Dean moved his hand back to his side. He smiled.

"What was that for?" Cas asked.

"I'll tell my secret when you tell yours."

Dean headed back for the motel, not bothering to check and see if Cas was following him. He didn't care anymore. He had finally kissed Cas, as he'd wanted to for so long. If only Cas knew the love behind the gesture.

But as he said, Dean would tell his secret when Cas told his.