The next day the hunters decided to go after the Demon before it could wreak any more havoc over the town of Burlington. Cas tagged along this time. He didn't want to leave again, and he felt happy close to Dean, closer than ever. Sam read a report of a truck driver who was found with this throat slit after picking up a hitchhiker on a road close to a abandoned barn, just outside of town. They all agreed it was once again the demon's doing.

They all packed into the Impala, and set off. Castiel sat in the back seat, watching Dean's hands clutching around the wheel. Every so often the hunter would look back and offer the angel a warm smile. Cas would beam back, getting nervous and quickly looking down at this hands folded in his lap. Sam noticed these brief exchanges, and would laugh. He would tease them by calling them "love birds," or winking at one of them. Dean wouldn't protest, he wouldn't deny a thing. He would just smirk and return his eyes to the road.

It took a couple of hours to drive out the barn, and by the time they got there the sun was high up in the sky, forming beads of sweat on their skin. They pulled to the front, examining the disheveled building. The wood had turned to a deep gray color, and cracked due to age. The windows were broken, but were boarded up by thin planks of wood. The fence surrounding the barn was broken, and tilted. The earth beneath their feet was muddy from when it had rained the night before.

Castiel shot Dean a concerned look, worried that his hunter was walking into a dangerous situation. Dean responded with a reassuring nod, reminding him he had done this kind of thing countless times. Sam walked ahead, quietly stepping through the damp soil. Dean and Cas lingered steps behind. Dean was confident, he had Ruby's knife in his hand, and he was itching for a fight. It had been so long.

"Be careful." Castiel said with a whisper.

"It'll be okay."

Dean reached out and grasped Castiel's hand, pulling his fingers up to his mouth, and brushing his lips over his knuckles.

The trio crept around to the back door. They opened it slowly but it nevertheless called out with a creak, alerting whoever was inside that they had company. The barn was dark, lit only by the sun that shone through the gaps in the broken windows, and holes in the roof. After a moment of quiet, Sam was thrown by a black eyed demon, possessing a young blonde woman. Dean ran up behind her, thrusting the knife into her side as she glowed, and then fell lifelessly to the ground.

Two demons emerged from a shadowy corner, a middle aged man and woman. Husband and wife, Cas assumed. A third entered from the front door of the barn, an athletic young man. One of the demons launched himself, at Dean, pinning his arm to the wall, forcing him to drop the knife. As the woman demon ran at Sam, he took a flask of holy water out of his pocket and covered her in it. She flinched back in pain, her face sizzling as she screamed in agony. Castiel placed his palm on the third, causing his eyes to light up, and then fizzle out. He froze and he watched Dean struggle under the weight of the demon.

His eyes filled with panic as the demon locked his soulless eyes on Cas, and twisted his thin mouth into a wicked grin. He pressed his free hand against Dean's rib cage, and pressed down. The angel heard a crack, and Dean writhed in pain.

"Dean!" Cas called out, attempting to save his human before he was knocked back by the other demon who had recovered from the holy water. He smited her as well, while Sam moved toward the demon who was holding his brother. He threw the remainder of the Holy Water on the demon's bare shoulders and picked up the knife to stab his stomach while he screamed.

Dean fell to the floor in a crumpled mess, breathing heavily. Cas rushed over to him, holding his head in his hands, and studied every inch of his face. His eyes looked sleepy, suffering from the broken ribs. He managed to pull his lips in an uneven smirk as the angel's face hovered inches away from his own.

"Don't sweat it Cas, I'm fine." He threw his arm around the angel's shoulders, heaved himself up, and began stumbling to the car.

Sam drove on the way home, allowing Dean and Castiel to sit in the back. He wanted to heal Dean and rescue him from his pain but killing of the demons had temporarily drained him.

The angel cooed in Dean's ear, holding his hand firmly, allowing the hunter to rest his head open his shoulder. Dean was in pain, but being this close to Cas was something he couldn't help but smile about. He took full advantage of the lack of space available to them in the back of the Impala. He molded into Cas' side, and glossed his lips over the angel's chin.

They arrived back at the motel and inside noticed how dirty the fight in the barn had left all of them. Sam left to take a shower, leaving Dean and Cas alone. Dean laughed and wiped away a smudge of dirt underneath Castiel's eye. The dark brown was a beautiful contrast against his pale skin and blue eyes. He looked down at this clothes, and then his own, noticing they had been covered in the mud that was the floor of the barn.

"C'mon, let's get out of these clothes," Dean whispered, taking him by the hand and leading him to the bedroom.

Dean crossed his arms to pull his shirt off, but winced in pain at the pressure on his ribs.

"Allow me," said Cas softly, moving his hands under Dean's shirt, gently caressing his hipbones with his thumbs. He pulled the shirt up and over Dean's head, feeling the warmth radiating from his bare skin. He studied every line of his chest, his collar bones, and the vein in his neck that had once caused him to act irrationally. His eyes wondered down stopping at the deep blue bruise that had formed over Dean's rib. His hand touched it softly, and the bruised faded away as he healed the hunter. His eyes continued, moving down and finally reaching the V that formed at the top of Dean's jeans.

He looked up again, catching the eyes of the hunter. They were full of hunger and desire. Dean took a deep shaky breath and bit his lip. He slowly peeled the dirty trench coat off the angel's shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Next he worked on the tie, hurrying to pull it from around Castiel's neck and moved on to the buttons of his shirt. Soon the two stood inches apart, shirtless and wanting. Dean grabbed Cas by the top of his pants and yanked him in, passionately kissing him as he unbuttoned the pants and pulled down the zipper. The angel mirrored his actions, and pulled Dean back. He felt the back of his needs hit the side of the bed as the two of them fell on the mattress.

Dean straddled his friend, pinning his arms back with his strong hands. He dove into Cas' neck, biting and kissing, while the angel's eyes widened and he let out a deep moan. The raspy sound that had emerged from the angel's voice sent blood pumping through Dean, forcing his erection to stretch out his boxers. Dean starting grinding his hips against Cas', feeling as his cock hardened against his own. He reached down and pulled off the angel's boxers, and then his own, sending them both flying over the side of the bed.

He reached down, wrapping his leathery hand around the angel's shaft, feeling it throb under his palm. He started moving it up and down, slowly as the angel threw his head back in ecstasy. He studied Cas' face as his mouth hung open in pleasure, occasionally letting out deep moans. The angel, with his eyes closed, reached out an grabbed the hunter's dick, rubbing as well. The rhythm was uneven and his grasp tightened as he approached his climax.

"Mmm, Dean…" Cas moaned beneath Dean's body.

Seeing Cas writhe under him as he made the angel cum sent Dean over the edge. He chummed shortly after, sending thick white globs onto Cas's stomach.

He rolled off of Cas, picking up a t-shirt to wipe themselves off. He looked over at the angel who was coming down from his orgasm induced high. He blinked at the ceiling, his mouth still parted, moans still echoing through his lips. Dean tangled his leg around his angel's, pulling his chin toward him for a passionate kiss. They laid there for a while, the silence surrounding them. Cas leaned his head on Dean's shoulder and sighed.

"Dean," he whispered.

"Yeah, Cas?" the hunter responded warmly.

"I love you."

The hunter rolled over on his stomach, hanging his face over Castiel's. He stroked his cheekbone with his thumb and kissed him once more.

"I love you too," he said softly in his ear. He said it so effortlessly, and for the first time, there was no question in his words.

Castiel was in love for the first time. What he didn't realize as he laid with his hunter, was that this was the first time for Dean as well.