Castiel looked around the empty house. The silence unnerved him, not even the tick of a clock broke it. He took off his trench coat and folded it up before putting it on the chair in his room. It was a nice room. A double bed against the right wall as you walked in, a large window with space to sit and maybe read or just enjoy the beautiful view from the window. A large comfy looking chair and a book shelf. The floor was the same dark wooden panelling as the rest of the whole, but the walls were painted white giving the room a welcoming feel. Cas smiled slightly. He'd never had a room before. He took off his shirt, untucking the white t-shirt he wore under neath. Back downstairs he paused at the closed door opposite the living room. He put his hand on the wood, feeling power pulsing from it. He tried the door handle, but it was locked. He was about to pick the lock like Dean had shown him, then remembered that it would be bad manners to break into locked rooms in a friends house. He pushed away his curiosity and went into the living room and sit and wait for Dean.

Six hours later he heard the Impala pulling up in front of the house, and looked to the door, waiting for the familiar thud of Dean's army boots on the porch. Dean opened the door, oil on his hands and cheek. He sighed slightly, taking off his jacket and hanging it up before he noticed Castiel sitting on the sofa and looking at him.

"Hello again."

"Hello. How was work?"

Dean chuckled slightly. "Who are you, Cas? My wife?"

"Actually I'd be your husband..."

"You never change do you?" He laughed slightly, kicking off his boots and heading upstairs. "I'll just shower and then we can head out." He paused on the stairs, leaning on the banister. "If you want to change you can borrow some of my stuff."

"I'm quite comfortable, thank you." Cas nodded his head.

"Could you at least... put on some jeans. The suit pants and t-shirt combo it's really working for you, buddy." Dean smirked slightly and then carried on, going into the bathroom.

Cas looked down at himself and then sighed, going up to Dean's room. He noticed a few photo frames that were face down on his dresser. He frowned slightly and picked one of them up. It was the picture they'd taken with Jo, Ellen, Bobby and Sam before... Cas swallowed slightly. He hadn't known Jo and Ellen that well, but they seemed like nice people. But seeing Bobby brought back an uncomfortable feeling in his chest and made his throat tight. He put it back down, picking up the next one. It was a picture of Mary and John Winchester at some kind of country fair. They're faces were smiling, happy. He put it down and picked up the third one. It was the photo Sam had taken of Dean and himself when they'd invited him out for ice cream. Dean had a mouthful of chocolate chip and scowling at the camera. Castiel was frowning at the ice cream like it had just told him a difficult riddle. He smiled slightly, looking at it for a while. Dean had been almost happy then. Before the mark, before Gladriel and Metatron, before Crowley. He left that photo up, and then grabbed a pair of light jeans, putting them on and messing with his hair.

Dean drove the two of them to a bar in town he'd been into a couple of times. Nice enough place, good atmosphere not too pricey. Great for old friends to catch up. They went in and up to the bar.

Dean looked at Cas. "What can I get you?"

"Beer, I guess."

Dean nodded and ordered a beer and a coke. They sat in a booth and sipped their drinks in silence. Castiel frowned at the drink in Dean's hand.

"Your alcohol is fizzing... Why does it do that?"

Dean smirked slightly. "It's not alcohol... I don't really drink anymore."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I figured I've got enough crap on my hands, add alcohol into the mix and you've got a very limited level of control, you know?"

Castiel nodded. He admired Dean's restraint and couldn't help feeling hopeful that dean really had made a positive change for himself. He looked at the beer in his hands and cleared his throat, saying a little too loudly. "I don't like beer."

"What?" Dean laughed slightly. "You drank it all the time with me and Sammy in the bunker?"

"Yeah, because you and Sam were drinking it..." He trailed off, looking kind of ashamed.

"Oh, Cas. You should have said something! Dammit, now I feel like a pressured you into drinking." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I'll get you something else. Coke okay?"

He pushed his drink to him, and Castiel sipped it. At first he looked like someone who had just drank lemon juice, then he coughed slightly. "It's in my nose! Why is my nose fizzing?"

Dean laughed, hard. Cas's face was a picture. His blue eyes squinted as he wiggled his nose, trying to get rid of the effect. After he calmed enough to speak he got up and got him a water. They stayed in the bar until it closed, talking and laughing; reminding each other how to be human. The beer sitting to one side, undrunk.

A figure watched them from the shadows of the alleyway on the other side of the street. Their lips curled into a smirked. "My, My, Squirrel... what have we here?"