There's still quite a bit to resolve with this one, so there will definitely be at least a few more chapters after this one. I hope you're all enjoying the story. Thank you for the kind reviews!

Chapter 6

Sam bounded up the stairs two at a time with Gabriel in tow. He burst into the kitchen with a ridiculous grin on his face and startled Bobby, who was still sitting at the table reading through some newspapers. He just stood there wordlessly, panting for breath, before holding up his hand, the fingers of which were interlocked with the archangel's. His pride and joy emanated off of him, while Gabriel merely rolled his eyes.

Bobby's eyebrows quirked up and his eyes widened. "You've gotta be kiddin' me."

"Nope," Sam exclaimed gleefully, beaming his smile at Gabriel before turning back to the older hunter.

"So much for grandchildren," Bobby muttered, leaning his head back to talk to the ceiling. "I got two boys gone gay for angels. What did I do wrong?"

"Hey now, there's nothing wrong with a little holy lovin'." Gabriel wagged his eyebrows at Sam, who blushed slightly and laughed.

Bobby just shook his head as a tiny smile crept onto his face. Sure, he was a little taken aback by this sudden development, but honestly, he wasn't all that surprised. He had a feeling Sam and Gabriel were a little more than just friends, they were just better at being discreet about it than Dean and Castiel – though that wasn't really saying much. And besides, who was he to judge who the boys hit it off with? If anything, angels would be good for them. Able to protect them and all. And Sam had a look on his face like a kid in a candy store – he automatically approved of anyone who could make the boy that happy.

"So I take it the war's over, then?" he asked gruffly, changing the subject.

"Yeah, I mean, at least I hope so," Sam replied with a thoughtful look at Gabriel. "Just depends if Dean and Cas worked it out."

"I'd say they worked it out," Gabriel smirked.

"What's that supposed to –"

"I don't wanna know," Bobby interrupted the younger hunter, holding up his hand and making a disgusted face. "Guess that's why he had the sun shinin' out of his ass this morning, huh?"

"Bet he had more than the sun up his ass," Gabriel grinned mischievously, earning a horrified look from Sam.

"Gabriel!"

"What?" The archangel held up his hands in defense and put on the most innocent look he could muster. "Just being honest!"

"If I hear one more word about 'holy loving' I'm kickin' you all out for good," Bobby grumbled, going back to his paper.

Gabriel shot a quick wink at Sam before tugging them both into the living room to settle on the couch and wait for the moment of truth: Dean's appearance.

Dean woke slowly, basking in the warmth of Castiel's weight laying on his chest, skin against skin. He hadn't moved at all during the night – which was unusual, because he had always been a restless sleeper. Somehow just Castiel's presence made his rest infinitely more peaceful.

He yawned lazily and blinked his eyes open to see two bright blue circles staring intently up at him. "Good morning, Dean."

"D'you just watch me sleep all night?" Dean slurred, running his hand up Castiel's bare back. He made it sound like an accusation, but honestly, he wouldn't have minded. He might have even liked it.

"I do not sleep anymore, Dean," Castiel reminded him in his usual gravelly voice, so different from the high-pitched, needy whimpers and moans that escaped his throat the night before.

"Right, well, you could try it every once in a while, it'd be a little less creepy than staring at me while I'm unconscious," Dean teased, trailing his fingers up the back of Castiel's neck before running them through his mess of dark hair.

Castiel nodded but remained silent, closing his eyes and parting his lips, enjoying the feeling of Dean petting through his hair. Dean seized the opportunity to capture his mouth in a gentle kiss, lapping at the chapped lips with his tongue before pulling back and smiling at his angel. Damn, he was beautiful with a morning afterglow.

Dean's stomach growled loudly, effectively ruining the sweet moment they had going. Castiel rolled off of his chest and he sat up, far too quickly, the room spinning sickeningly. Putting a hand to his head, he groaned, "Fuck... killer hangover."

With a press of two fingers to the hunter's forehead, Castiel had him feeling better instantly.

"I should keep you around more often," he chuckled, leaning back down to kiss him briefly before swinging his legs around off the bed. "Okay, breakfast. You hungry?" Before the angel could give his robotic reply, Dean caught his mistake. "Right. Never mind. I'm gonna go get something to eat. You stay here 'cause I'll be right back, okay?"

"Okay," Castiel nodded, settling back down into the bed and tugging the blanket around his bare shoulders. He watched as his hunter threw on a wrinkled t-shirt and padded out of the room before rolling onto his back and staring up at the ceiling.

It had to be the greatest night of his entire existence. He had watched human copulation before, but he had no idea that it would feel so... intense and pure. Admittedly, pure was a strange word to describe the act considering that it was a sin, but Castiel didn't understand how anything so beautiful, that made him feel so complete, could possibly be anything but righteous. When Dean was holding him, caressing him, kissing him, he felt like nothing else mattered – he could stay with the hunter for the rest of his life and never tire of hearing him moan with pleasure, watching his face flush with red and soften under his touch, holding his gaze and looking deep into those sparkling green depths. And then afterward, when Dean pulled him into his broad chest and held him there, just laid with him and drifted off to sleep, Castiel felt absolutely and completely loved.

Of course, Dean had never actually said that he loved Castiel, so he didn't want to get his hopes up too high. But it certainly felt like he did. His face was so relaxed and at peace as he slept with Castiel in his arms, and throughout the night the hunter would murmur his name in his sleep, bury his face in the angel's hair, or tighten his grasp around him. And this morning, when he woke, he didn't get upset or run away or – what Castiel had feared most – regret it. In fact, he actually looked happier than Castiel had seen him in a very long time, and he took a little pride in that. So he hoped that Dean at least loved him a little bit. Because from what he knew about human relationships, the bubbling in his chest, the swelling of his heart, and the dizziness in his head were signs that he loved Dean very, very much.

The hunter returned quickly, jumping back into the bed and letting Castiel curl up into his side with a strong arm wrapped around the smaller man's body. He leaned in for a slow, lazy kiss, and Castiel noticed a faint taste that wasn't there before.

"You taste like..."

"Orange," Dean supplied, still brushing their lips together. "Had some juice."

Castiel nodded and decided that he liked oranges.

Dean pulled back after a moment and bit his lower lip thoughtfully. "What are we gonna tell Sam? And Bobby?"

"Whatever you wish," Castiel replied.

"I just... dunno what they'd say, you know? If they'd be okay with it, or think it was weird or something," Dean explained. "I mean, they're downstairs in the kitchen, and we should go down there but maybe I should go first, and then you can zap down there or something. So it's not like we're both going together, 'cause then they might get suspicious or something. I mean, two guys don't just wake up with each other in the morning as friends. That's weird. They'd know something was up, you know?"

"Dean," Castiel interjected, noticing his nervous rambling and quirking an eyebrow at him. "I understand. I will be downstairs after you."

Grinning sheepishly, Dean nodded and stood up. He turned back to Castiel and let his gaze trail down the outline of his lithe body underneath the blanket. Letting out a low whistle, he said in a deep voice, "The morning-after look suits you, Cas." He fell back onto the bed on his knees and placed his hands on either side of Castiel's head, balancing his body over the angel and leaning in for a heated kiss. Castiel circled his arms around the hunter's neck and pulled him in closer to deepen it, losing himself in the intoxicating aroma and taste of Dean Winchester.

"Must you leave right now?" he breathed when Dean moved down to his neck.

"I could wait a little while," the hunter murmured against his skin.

The corner of Castiel's lips turned up in a small smile. "Last night was wonderful," he whispered, arching his back as strong hands felt their way down his torso, "but I never got to return the favor." His words sent a shiver through Dean, who froze and locked eyes with the angel, pupils so dilated with lust that Castiel could barely make out the ring of green peeking out from behind them.

Castiel took advantage of Dean's surprise and rolled himself over, kicking off the blanket and exposing his naked body, pushing Dean onto his back beneath him. Dean gasped and struggled, grabbing Castiel's hips and trying to reverse their positions, but Castiel took hold of his wrists and pinned them above his head gently. "No," he said sternly, "let me."

Dean nodded, watching in captivation as Castiel turned his attention to the sensitive skin on his neck. The angel hovered over him for a moment, just looking, counting the myriad of freckles scattered over his skin and trailing a thumb over the thick vein on the side. He noticed Dean's breathing quickening in anticipation and leaned down to swipe his tongue from the collar of his shirt all the way up to behind his ear, eliciting a heady moan. Thin cotton gave way to smooth skin as Castiel tugged Dean's shirt up and off. He mapped out the planes of the hunter's chest with his hands, still using his mouth to explore Dean's neck, which was stretched out and exposed with his head thrown back in pleasure.

When Castiel dipped his hips down and brushed his thigh over Dean's quickly filling cock, Dean hissed loudly.

"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly, searching the hunter's face, afraid he had hurt him.

"Nothing, I... Cas," Dean moaned, looking up at his naïve angel. "Please, I need... just... touch me."

Castiel sucked in a sharp breath and obliged, sliding his hand slowly down Dean's chest and slipping beneath his waistband, his sweaty palm catching on tender skin.

"Wait," Dean burst out suddenly, causing Castiel to freeze and look up at him with wide eyes. He grabbed the angel's thin wrist and tugged his hand out of his pants, bringing it up to his mouth with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Open your hand," he commanded, and Castiel obeyed. Curling his tongue skillfully, he licked a stripe up his palm, slicking up his hand as best he could before releasing him with a wink and a nod. "Okay."

Castiel swallowed and nodded back, suddenly acutely aware of how new he was to all of this. But when he swiftly slid back under Dean's waistband and wrapped a hand around his arousal, the loud moan that reached his ears was a definite sign that he was doing the right thing. As he slid his hand from the base to the tip, he recalled Dean's actions from the night before and swiped a thumb over the sensitive head, causing Dean to buck his hips up and dig his nails into his shoulder blades.

Stilling his hand, Castiel threw his head back and let out a strangled cry.

"Cas? God, Cas, are you okay?" Dean asked worriedly, trying to sit up, searching his angel's face for any sign that he was in pain.

"That felt... amazing," Castiel gasped, still looking up at the ceiling.

Dean cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What, this?"

He dug his fingernails into Castiel's shoulders again, ripping a loud howl from the angel's throat. "My... my wings," he panted, body shuddering with waves of pleasure. "They're... sensitive."

The hunter's eyes widened in shock for a brief second – he had almost forgotten that he was bedding an angel of the lord, wings and all – but he quickly recovered with a smirk and began to knead the muscles along his spine, relishing in the look of pure bliss on Castiel's face. Castiel rocked his hips against Dean's, riding him to gain friction for his quickly filling cock.

Suddenly, he growled and began working Dean's cock again, determination etched into his expression. Dean groaned low in his throat and bucked up into the hand pumping him relentlessly. The combination of Castiel's soft hands and his needy moans brought him close to the edge in record time.

"Fuck, Cas," he breathed, "m'gonna... don't stop... oh God..."

They came within seconds of each other, Castiel grinding unabashedly against Dean's clothed thigh while Dean was completely enveloped in everything that was his angel. He felt the warmth of Castiel spilling onto him and that was it; his entire body tensed and shook with his orgasm as he pumped load after load into Castiel's fist. They collapsed together, limbs tangling and chests heaving, just trying to regain their breath.

"Wow," Dean panted after a moment. Castiel, still unable to find his voice, merely nodded in agreement. "I, uh... should probably go downstairs now."

Neither of them moved an inch.

"You okay?" Dean asked, glancing at Castiel, who was sprawled out on his chest, perfectly still.

"Mmm," came the muffled reply.

The hunter chuckled and pressed his palm between Castiel's shoulder blades lightly. Arching into the touch, Castiel whimpered, his body overly sensitive.

"Okay, okay, sorry," he smirked, removing his hand. "Your wings though... I gotta say, that's pretty damn hot."

Castiel tilted his head so that his bright blue eyes met green. "I am glad you think so."

"Gonna have to use that spot more often," Dean winked.

"Mmm," Castiel murmured again, laying his head back down.

They stayed that way for a while, Castiel curled into Dean's chest, Dean petting through his hair and humming under his breath. But Dean knew that if he didn't get up soon, he was never going to get up at all, and though he would love to be able to stay in bed with his angel all day, he didn't want to risk anyone coming in to find them tangled up in each other. So he took a deep breath and stretched out, yawning, "Alright, I gotta get up."

"No."

He laughed. "Yes, Cas, c'mon. Move."

"No."

"Don't make me hurt you."

"I am an angel of the lord, Dean. You cannot hurt me."

"Oh yeah? Wanna bet?"

Castiel rolled his eyes – a habit he had undoubtedly picked up from the Winchesters – and replied, "Dean, stop being childish."

"You're the one who won't get off of me!" Dean protested. He gripped Castiel's shoulders hard and pushed upwards, trying to throw him off, but the angel didn't budge. Remembering his abnormal super strength, Dean suddenly realized that when he overpowered Castiel in bed, it wasn't as much him being dominant as Castiel being submissive. Damn, he wondered, is there anything about him that isn't sexy as hell?

But seriously, he needed to go downstairs before Sam came looking for him and walked in on a scene that would scar his poor little nerd brain for life. So he pushed up harder on Castiel, using his legs as well and grunting with the effort.

"Cas, please, help a guy out," he begged, giving up with a heavy sigh.

Castiel eyed him mischievously. "I suppose. But..." He began to slide down Dean's chest, peppering kisses along the way. "Only if you promise," he hovered over Dean's crotch, licking his lips slowly, "to pick up," he mouthed the growing bulge in Dean's sweatpants, "where we left off."

Dean groaned, watching his every move. "Fuck, yes."

"Alright then," Castiel said, sitting up between the hunter's legs and flashing him a smile. The should-be-illegal seductive expression he had moments before dissolved into his usual innocent, stoic look.

"Dammit, Cas, you're gonna be the death of me," Dean grumbled as he rolled off the bed and snatched his shirt off the floor, discarding his ruined sweatpants in favor of a fresh pair of jeans. "Wait, like, ten minutes, okay?" Satisfied with Castiel's nod in confirmation, he turned and padded out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. He had to swallow hard and clench his fists to stop himself from running back and jumping into bed with the angel all over again. With a deep breath, he hoped against hope that he would be able to control himself and that nothing would give them away once in the company of his brother and Bobby.

But when he made his way into the kitchen, the only one there was the older hunter. "Hey, Bobby... where's Sam?"

"Living room," Bobby grunted, not looking up from his paper.

"He found anything to do?" Dean asked.

Bobby snorted. "He sure found somethin'."

The older Winchester knitted his brow in confusion. "Uh... okay. Thanks."

He made his way into the living room, expecting to see his brother sprawled out with his computer, but stopped short in horrified surprise.

There, on Bobby's couch, was Gabriel the archangel, feet propped up on the coffee table, lollipop in his mouth, arm looped around a pair of broad shoulders – Sam's shoulders.

"What the hell?"

Sam spun around and laid fearful eyes on his brother. "Dean."

"What are you doing here? And why – what are you doing with Sam?" he spluttered at Gabriel, his chest already heaving in anger.

"Give him a chance, Dean. You have no idea what he did for Cas, and for you," Sam insisted, quickly standing to put himself between the hunter and the archangel.

"I know what he did for Cas. He kept his grace locked away for a freakin' laugh, that's what he did," Dean snapped. "What is this, you two plotting again? Another trick, another stupid joke?"

"No, this isn't –" Sam started, but Gabriel interrupted him.

"Give it a rest, Dean-o," he groaned, rolling his eyes. "Take a deep breath, and let's talk about this like adults, shall we?"

"Talk about what?" the older Winchester spat. "How you hurt Cas?"

"I never hurt Castiel." Gabriel gritted his teeth, a sudden fire lighting inside him. "He's back, isn't he? He's here, he's safe, and it's all thanks to me. I was the one looking out for him, I was the one protecting him, so don't you dare ever accuse me of hurting him again, or I swear I'll –"

"Gabriel," a gravelly voice came from behind Dean. He whirled around and stared open-mouthed at Castiel, who had appeared in a flutter of wings in the corner of the room. His heart started pounding, and he glanced nervously at Sam, who looked just as shocked as he was.

"What a lovely surprise," Gabriel clapped his hands together. "I was just explaining to your little guard dog here why there's no reason to bite."

"Guard dog my ass," Dean grumbled, turning his attention back to the archangel.

"I believe we need to talk," Castiel spoke to his brother, ignoring the seething hunter.

Gabriel's expression sobered up immediately and he nodded once, taking a deep breath before both angels disappeared without warning, leaving the two hunters stranded in the living room, alone.

Dean slowly turned to face Sam and damn, but if looks could kill.

"Listen, man, he wasn't –"

"You know what, Sam?" Dean cut him off, ice in his voice. "I don't wanna hear it right now. I just got Cas back after that son of a bitch locked his grace up. Now he's gone, again. And then I come downstairs to find you two are freakin' cuddle buddies?" He stared at his brother in disbelief. "Whose side are you on, Sam?"

"It's not like that," Sam insisted. "He was trying to help."

"Help? He goes around doing whatever the hell he wants, doesn't give a damn if the people I care about are in the way, just crushes them up and spits 'em out and expects everything to be all sugar-coated and forgive-and-forget. Have you forgotten when he trapped us in tv-land, Sam? Or when he killed me off all those times? That wasn't to help us. No, it was all a big fucking joke to him. And you're acting like he's some great hero. What the fuck am I supposed to think, huh? Am I really supposed to believe you, that he's trying to 'help' after all that?"

Dean's voice had risen to a shout, his bottom lip quivering and his face turning bright red with anger. He set his jaw and clenched his fists, using every bit of self-restraint he had not to march across the room and punch the daylights out of his brother.

"I don't expect you to believe me," Sam said quietly, head hanging low. "I know it's not exactly like him. But it's the truth, Dean. And I... I trust him."

"You trust him." Dean shook his head, unable to comprehend what Sam was telling him. "That's good. Real good." He ran his hand through his hair and turned away, storming out of the house without another word.

Sam collapsed onto the couch, cradling his head in his hands. This had not gone at all the way he wanted. It wasn't really surprising, considering how much of a hothead Dean could be, but he at least hoped that he'd have Gabriel there to help him out. And who knows where those angels had flitted off to.

Cringing at the sound of a loud crash out in the salvage yard, Sam could only pray that they would be back soon, bringing good news and, maybe, a little bit of peace.

Gabriel looked around at the old, gray warehouse Castiel had brought them to. Metal scraps left behind on the hard concrete floor, bits and pieces of broken down machinery scattered here and there, abandoned chains hanging from the ceiling and swaying with the draft that came in from the shattered windows, clanging against the metallic walls. He would have picked somewhere a little more comfortable – maybe a lounge, preferably with lots of scantily clad girls and sugary treats to go around – but this was about Castiel, after all. The two brothers hadn't really said anything about the events of the past few days, barely seeing each other in Heaven before returning to their respective hunters, so he knew he had quite a bit of talking to do here, and the less distractions, the better.

"I don't understand the reason for any of this," Castiel stated from across the large, empty space. His voice echoed off the thin metal walls.

Gabriel started from the beginning, why he kept Castiel's grace; the easiest part. "You forgot why you fell," he began. "I couldn't let you rip out your own grace for no reason."

"I did not accomplish anything as a human." Castiel's icy blue eyes seemed to stare straight through him.

"But you have now, right?" Gabriel prodded. "You've got Dean now. And if you hadn't had those extra days with him, you knuckleheads never would've realized your feelings for each other. So you needed that."

"It is a sin, Gabriel."

The archangel sighed in exasperation. "But they're giving us a chance! Don't you get it? We have a chance to prove them wrong, to show them that we're strong enough to handle it!"

"I don't understand. I atoned for my mistakes," Castiel vindicated. "Raphael allowed me to return to Dean, but what does any of this have to do with you?"

Gabriel gaped at his brother. He had never explicitly told him about his involvement, but he figured Castiel was at least bright enough to realize it himself. "You think Raphael just flipped a switch all of a sudden? You think he just changed his mind because you 'atoned'? Did a little dirty work, and now you're all set? It doesn't work that way. It took way more to get you off the hook." Gabriel swallowed back the overwhelming emotions that were threatening to burst out of him; sadness and hurt at his brother's blindness, almost to the point of anger. "I was with Raphael before you got there, Castiel. I stood up for you. I made him change his mind. I convinced him to give you a chance."

Realization flooded Castiel's facial features and a sudden thankfulness for his brother exuded from him so much that Gabriel could feel it, like a warmth filling in the cold open space. "But... why?"

Here we go, Gabriel thought. He had yet to break the news about him and Sam to anybody – well, except Bobby Singer and Dean, but they didn't really count – so now it was all or nothing. "Because, Castiel, by giving you a chance at this... they're giving me one too."

The blue-eyed angel cocked his head to the side in confusion. Gabriel rolled his eyes; apparently he had to spell everything out for him. "I like Sam."

Castiel nodded in understanding, seemingly unfazed by Gabriel's admission. "I see. Well then, I must apologize to you. And thank you, as well. I greatly appreciate what you did... for us."

With caramel-colored eyes sparkling, Gabriel smiled. Maybe it was all going to work out after all. "Anytime, bro. Anytime."