When Cas and Sam returned from the store about twenty minutes later, they had ice cream and breakfast food. Dean was sprawled on the couch, ice melting against his upturned cheek. He opened his eyes as they entered the room, and smiled when he heard Sammy laugh at something Cas said. Despite what his dad said, Cas was good for him and his brother. Cas put the food away and gave Sam an ice cream. Dean neglected to have any, and the blue-eyed boy abstained as well. Once Sam finished his treat Dean ordered him to bed. Cas loaned him a pair of sweat pants and led him to the guest bedroom.

"Goodnight, Sam."

"Night, Cas." Dean sat up and made room for Cas on the couch when he came back, smiling when Cas instantly curled into his side. They watched a movie and went to bed, Dean sleeping with Cas in his room. Neither noticed the figure creep silently into the room a few hours after they had fallen asleep, nor did they notice the camera flashes and soft clicks before the figure slunk away again. Dean woke up first the next morning. 'he smiled at Cas- he looked happy, even asleep. He brushed his fingers along Cas's jaw, enjoying the feel of his stubble. His smile widened as Ca hummed quietly, obviously still asleep. He froze as he realized what he was going, and jerked away, rolling out of bed and landing on his feet. He was dressed in a pair of Cas's sweats, but had apparently taken off his shirt in the night. He shrugged to himself and found a towel that seemed clean before making his was to the bathroom for a shower. He briefly wondered in Cas would join him. Dean shook his head to clear away the distracting thought, pointedly ignoring the semi- he was sporting at the idea.

'Get yourself together, Winchester.'

Dean drove the three of them to school, but as soon as Sam closed the car door- sans books or homework- Cas turned to Dean.

"Skip with me. We never do anything on Fridays anyway." Dean didn't pause to think, just turned the car back on and drove away, holding Cas's hand in his own. They rolled down the windows and sang along to the ACDC blaring through the radio. They drove for hours, eventually finding themselves at the beach. It was practically empty, just some college girls and some dog-walkers down the way a bit. They sat together on the hood of the Impala, Dean's arm slung casually around his friend's shoulders. After a while, Cas slid off the car and started shimmying out of his clothes.

"Uh... Cas?" Dean asked uncertainly, clearing his throat.

"You brought me to the beach- so I am going to swim." came the quiet reply. "Come with me?" Dean didn't think twice, quickly stripping down to his boxers. He and Cas ran across the hot sand, hesitating once the cold water his them. Cas took a few tentative steps forward into the surf, Dean close behind. As the next wave came in, Cas felt a hard shove at his back as he was forced into the water. "Dean Winchester," he spluttered as he emerged from the water, dripping. "Did you push me?" He didn't really need to ask- Dean was laughing too uproariously for it to have been anyone else. Still dripping, Cas stalked forward, fists clenched. Suddenly, his posture softened and he looked at Dean from under his eyelashes. "I think you owe me a hug?" Dean shook his head, still chuckling.

"No way. You'll get me back." Cas tilted his head.

"If I promise not to dunk you?" Dean narrowed his eyes slightly but nodded once.

"Deal." Cas held out his loosely clenched fists in a 'come to me' gesture. After a moment's hesitation, Dean did. Cas immediately snuggled into his broad chest, burying his face in the crook of Dean's neck. Dean wrapped his arms around Cas's waist, feeling bad when he felt the other boy's chilled skin.

"Aw, Cas, I'm sorr-AH!" Dean let out a squeal as something went, cold, and slimy found it's way into his boxers. Cas stepped back quickly, covering his mouth as he giggled. Dean grimaced as he pulled at his shorts, trying to get whatever it was away from him while Cas continued to try desperately not to laugh. Eventually, with a wet 'plop' a large chunk of sea-weed fell to the sand. Cas could hold it in no more and began laughing loudly, clutching his stomach.

"S...stop!" he cried around his giggles. "Stop looking at me like that! You're making it worse!" Dean's glared faded into a smile as his friend continued to chortle. When the boy didn't seem inclined to stop any time soon, Dean picked him up and threw him over his shoulder. This made Cas laugh harder, even as he tried to struggle free. Dean strode bravely into the water, still smiling at the blue-eyes boy's fruitless struggles. When he deemed the water deep enough, he tossed Cas in. They were both still laughing when Cas came up for air.

"Dean? Your mother is here." Cas and Dean has returned to Cas's a number of hours earlier. Sam had walked back after school, since it wasn't far. Dean stood from where he sat on the couch. His cheeks were pink from the sun, though he still had a large bruise covering one of them. Mary gave a gentle smile as she entered the room and Dean allowed her to examine him and give his cheek a soft kiss.

"What do you want to do, Dean?" She asked once they were seated. Csa had tried to excuse himself, but both Mary and Dean insisted he stay.

"I don't want to go back." he responded immediately. Mary nodded.

"I figured as much, Cas, do you think your parents would mind if Dean stayed here for a while?" Cas smiled and shook his head slightly.

"I'm an emancipated minor. This is my house, in my name. Dean is welcome to stay as long as he'd like." Mary was silent for a long while, before she nodded.

"I think you're old enough to decide for yourself what you want to do, Dean. As long as you do it responsibly. Sam, though..."

"Should go home." Dean agreed. "Dad won't touch him." Mary's eyes grew cold.

"No, I shouldn't think so. If he ever lays a hand on either of you again he'll have me to deal with." Both boys looked on in shock as the normally kind and warm mother became downright terrifying in her fury. "And I will not treat him kindly." Mary shook her head quickly, clearing her thoughts. "I brought you some clothes, Dean. They're in the trunk. Could you go get them?" Dean nodded and left the room. "I brought you some money, Cas. Dean eats more than you think could be possible." Cas smiled and shook his head, staring at the floor.

"I promise, I have more money than I know what to do with. Please," he glanced at her face. "keep it." Mary squinted for a moment before nodding.

"Alright." she glanced at the door before continuing. "Dean's not going to live with us again, will he? He's moving out." Cas nodded.

"It seems likely."

"You're good for him. He's never had a friend like you. I know he can be stupid sometimes," they both smiled. "but he's worth it." Cas nodded slowly.

"Yes. He is."

Once Sam and Mary left, Dean settled back onto the couch. Cas plopped next to him, with a tub of ice cream and a spoon. He took a bite then offered the cold treat to Dean. After a moment's thought, he accepted. For a while they were silent, simply enjoying their ice cream and each other's company. Then-

"Cas, how did you get those scars on your chest?" Castiel froze, spook buried in the ice cream. His shoulders slumped and Dean began to backpedal. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask, it's just-"

"It's okay, Dean. I'll tell you." Dean stopped speaking immediately, but began ot fidget when Dean didn't say anything for a long time. "I have some on my back too. And my arms." There was another silence, shorter this time. "Do you know about my sister, Anna?"

"Yeah, she uh, she died."

"She killed herself." Dean nodded- everyone knew that.

"I was supposed to die too." Dean's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to speak, but Cas kept going. "We made a pact- but I couldn't go through with it. She slit her wrists in the bathroom. I went to tell her I wanted to call it off, but it was too late. There... there was so much blood. I started screaming, and after a while my father came to see what was wrong. I was crying, but he just looked at her and said she'd burn in hell. After that I sort of went crazy. I don't really remember what happened. I've been told I started hitting him and he pulled me from the room while he called 911. I was still screaming, only now it was about how I promised, and I had to die too. My brothers wouldn't let me back upstairs, so I jumped out of the living room window. I was shirtless, and the glass cut me everywhere. I came to in the hospital, chest wrapped in bandages and drugged out of my mind. My father said he was paying to keep me out of the psych ward- Anna's suicide was disgraceful enough. I was released a few days later. The bathroom was cleaned, the window fixed, Anna's room had been turned into an office like she never even existed." Cas's voice broke and immediately Dean wrapped him in his arms.

"I'm so sorry, Cas." Dean's voice was raw with emotion. "I'm so sorry."