Chapter : 13

February passed with little interest, Dean making Valentine's Day a greater fiasco than it should have been when he gifted the '69 Mustang he'd been working on to Castiel. The little white car was in desperate need of a paint-job, but the engine purred, the radio picked up most FM channels, and the A/C worked like a charm; it was more than Castiel was willing to accept, but Dean wouldn't take no as an answer.

Despite his reluctance, Castiel adopted the poorly painted car as his own after striking a payment deal (under the table) with Sam, affectionately deeming it Silver after a week of owning it. When Dean raised a questioning eyebrow at the name, Castiel all but forced him into a chair and played the Lone Ranger – the series from 1949, of course; Armie Hammer was certainly no Clayton Moore- until Dean came to an understanding.

It was mid-March now; Sam's fifteenth birthday had passed, and though the snow had stopped falling it had yet to melt away. Spring-break was less than three days away, but Castiel no longer dreaded the days away from school as he once did; rather, he was excited to spend his nights driving in pointless circles, or listening to Dean ramble about trivial things until he they fell asleep in mess of contently tangled limbs, without the knowledge that he had to return to school the next day.

He managed to maintain steady grades, and was never late to a shift for work, but the change in his personality was obvious; Dean Winchester had brought out the old Castiel, the one who disappeared with the death of Balthazar. In fact, it was the first thing Gabriel and Anna noticed when they arrived home for their own spring-break.

"You look slap-happy," Gabriel accused as the three relaxed in Gabriel's room the first afternoon of their arrival; Anna was wearing her Christmas gifts, perched on the window-seat like a porcelain doll, and Gabriel was sprawled across his bed. Castiel was tucked carefully in the corner of the room, trying to find a comfortable position on the bean-bag underneath him.

"What?" Castiel was shaken from his thoughts – his mind was lingering on events from the previous weekend, his fingertips absently tracing a purple mark hidden by the collar of his shirt – by the sound of his brother's voice.

"You have been smiling a lot this evening, Castiel," Anna agreed with her twin, toying with a charm around her neck as she studied her younger sibling carefully.

"I'm in a good mood," Castiel admitted, shrugging as he brought his fingers away from his neck, realizing he'd probably been bringing attention to the spot.

"Would pretty green eyes and fuck-me-bed-head have anything to do with that?" Gabriel smirked, raising an eyebrow as Castiel's cheeks tinged pink and he chuckled to himself; he'd never thought of Dean's hair as arousing, but now that he thought about it...

"He has a name," Castiel pointed out and Anna raised a delicate brow.

"He who?" She demanded, looking between Gabriel and Castiel expectantly. The brothers shared a guilty look and Castiel sunk deeper into the bean-bag, his cheeks darkening.

"Cas has a pretty nice piece of meat following him around," Gabriel explained. "They've been dating for, what? Six months now?" He glanced towards Castiel for conformation.

"Yes," Castiel confirmed bashfully.

"And why exactly was I left in the dark about this?" Anna demanded, her tone caught between annoyance and amusement.

"I guess I forgot to tell you," Gabriel shrugged apologetically as pulled at a string on his quilt. "He's a decent guy, though- we went out for pie at four o'clock Thanksgiving morning and the guy didn't complain at all,"

"You went out for Thanksgiving pie without me?" Anna gaped.

"Sorry, little sister- figured that monster you call a boyfriend had your hands tied- quite literally, if I heard things correctly." Gabriel smirked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Anna made an indignant noise and slipped a flat off her foot, composure slipping as she hurled the shoe at the boy on the bed.

"I am only younger by two minutes!" She squeaked, though it was obvious that Gabriel's affectionate endearment was not what was bothering her. Gabriel cackled, dodging the flying flat before settling back against the pillows once more.

"Still younger," Gabriel smirked as he retrieved a blow-pop from the bedside table and peeled away the wrapper. Anna glared daggers at the older Novak boy in the room before turning to Castiel, deciding he was of more interest.

"So, what's his name, Castiel?"

"Dean," Castiel announced. "Dean Winchester."

"What's he like?" Anna smiled, seeming pleased as she tucked her legs beneath herself and folded her hands in her lap.

Castiel struggled to find a way to describe a man of so little words.

Dean Winchester was like a flame, warm when kept at arm's length but hot and savage to the touch; his personality could be cold and sharp like a winter breeze, or warm and soothing as a lazy day in spring. His skin was rough and scarred, yet smooth under the touch of another; his eyes told of secrets and hidden pains, yet his face was etched with lines of laughter. To experience his love was life changing, and to experience his wrath was terrifying. He contradicted himself in a thousand different ways, yet it all made sense to those who knew him.

"He's unique," Castiel finally decided on the meager adjective, examining his hands curiously as Anna grinned.

"Good looking, I hope?" She prompted and Castiel nodded shyly, fighting a grin as his cheeks flushed.

"Oh, don't be modest, Cas." Gabriel snickered, leaning over the edge of the bed to retrieve Castiel's cell-phone where it was resting on the floor beside the youngest Novak's knee. Castiel made an attempt to retrieve the small device, blurting out a noise of protest as Gabriel tossed the phone to their sister; the wallpaper was the same image of the couple that Dean carried in his wallet, their foreheads pressed together while Dean slept and Castiel smiled at his relaxed expression.

"Oh, he's gorgeous!" Anna gasped, holding the device closer and squinting at the image with a large small as she glanced between Castiel and the screen. "Why are his eyes closed, though?"

"He had just gotten out of the hospital," Castiel explained bashfully as she returned his cell phone. "So I spent the evening with him, and the painkillers made him surprisingly… Cuddly. I couldn't resist taking the photograph when he fell asleep against me,"

"Hospital?" Anna worried, biting her bottom lip.

"He had a hiking accident," Castiel explained- it was the story he'd been told, so he forced himself to believe it despite his reservations and the incident in which Sam was almost shot. "He had pneumonia and a broken leg,"

"Poor thing," Anna frowned, opening her mouth to continue when a sudden exclamation from the phone in Castiel's hand cut her off.

"S is for the simple need, E is for the ecstasy; X is just to mark the spot cause that's the one you really want. Sex is always the answer, it's never a question cause the answer is yes," Castiel blanched at the inappropriate lyrics, his cheeks flaming as he pressed the device to his ear and answered the call.

"Hey, Cas."

"What on Earth possessed you to change my ringtone? You're incredibly lucky I wasn't near my mother when you called," Castiel scolded, climbing to his feet and heading towards the door; Anna and Gabriel followed close on his heels. Like eager children trying to listen in on an adult conversation, they were tripping over one and other as they strained their ears.

"Ah, I forgot about that." Dean chuckled. "It was Sam's idea, actually. Did you like the song?"

"Of course not," Castiel rolled his eyes, hearing the leer in Dean's voice as he wandered into the hall, heading for his bedroom. Gabriel muttered something and Castiel heard the distinctive sound of palm hitting cheek and Anna hurriedly shushing the older boy.

"Too bad," Dean sighed, "It's actually pretty good."

"If you say so… Why the sudden call? Is everything alright?" Castiel answered as he pushed open the door to his bedroom and came to a sudden halt, Anna and Gabriel running into his back and causing him to stumble forward a few steps.

Dean smiled shyly, phone still pressed to his ear where he was standing outside the locked balcony doors, and Castiel watched as he raised a hand and waked enthusiastically. Gabriel was the first to laugh, walking towards the doors while Anna turned and closed the bedroom door, locking it for extra measure, before she too moved to the balcony doors. Once they were unlatched, Dean strolled easily into the room with a mumbled thanks to the older Novak siblings before turning to Castiel with a smile.

The smile didn't reach his eyes.

"You seem to show up at my home unannounced quite often," Castiel smiled gently. "This isn't going to become a habit, is it?"

Dean shrugged, closing the small gap between them and kissing Castiel's forehead in a silent greeting. Castiel tilted his head back, seeking out Dean's lips, but the older man turned away before he could complete his search. That was odd…

"Hey Gabe," Dean greeted the older male in the room with a nod of his head before turning to Anna with a raised eyebrow, his arm brushing Castiel's as he glanced at his boyfriend. "I haven't met her before, have I?"

"No," Castiel answered with a shake of his head, motioning to his sister. "Dean, this is my older sister, Anna. Anna, this is Dean."

"How funny," Anna smiled. "We were just speaking about you,"

"Good things were said, I hope?" Dean smirked, looking suspiciously at Castiel. The younger boy rolled his eyes, shaking his head in a clear display of how idiotic the mere idea of saying something bad about Dean seemed.

"Only good things," Anna assured him unnecessarily, and Dean smiled weakly as he propped himself on the foot of Castiel's bed. The younger boy studied his boyfriend, frowning as he noticed the taut muscles in the older boys body and the troubled glint in his eyes.

"Anna, Gabriel," He addressed his siblings. "Would you mind giving us a moment alone?"

One glance at Castiel's worried expression was enough to get rid of the Novak twins, and they departed with muttered goodbyes, closing the door behind themselves. Castiel hovered restlessly near the end of the bed for a moment before lowering himself on to the bed beside Dean, their knees brushing as he cast a side-long glance at the older boy.

"What's on your mind, Dean?" Castiel tried, resting his elbows against his knees, his hands hovering in the empty space between his legs. Dean's jaw twitched in response to his words, but the older boy waited a long time to speak.

"I haven't seen you in a few days," He finally said, his expression guarded. "Guess I just wanted to check in."

"There's nothing wrong with that," Castiel smiled faintly, laying his head experimentally on his boyfriends shoulder. This earned him the smallest of smiles, Dean's eyes flickering over his face for a moment before returning to a spot on the carpet that seemed to interest him.

"Are you sure that's all that's bothering you? We've been apart before," Castiel murmured, closing his eyes as they sat together.

"Yeah, I just... Needed to see you," Dean sighed, turning to rest his chin atop Castiel's head.

"Well, here I am," Castiel muttered, reaching out blindly until his fingers found Dean's and twined together with the other digits. He gave his boyfriends hand a reassuring squeeze and Dean's breath ruffled his hair as he exhaled deeply.

"Here you are," Dean agreed with weak amusement.

Castiel frowned, leaning away from the older boy and staring at him; Dean's eyes wouldn't meet his, those hazel irises fluttering around the room as if Castiel wasn't even there. His jaw was tight, his hand tense in Castiel's, and the younger boy couldn't help the nervous fluttering in his stomach.

"Dean… What's wrong?" He whispered, his voice gentle and strong despite the knots in his stomach. The older boy's eyes slowly slid towards him, finally resting on his face after their short journey; there was something dark and somber in his expression, something Castiel couldn't quite decipher.

Dean, the man of a million actions, leaned forward and pressed his lips to Castiel's and the younger boy understood; something was upsetting him, but he was too strong to ask for comfort. The way his lips never parted from Castiel's, the two sharing breath as they kissed, and his usually confident hands fumbled in attempt to rid Castiel of his clothes, it was hard for the younger boy to miss how truly upset his boyfriend was.

Castiel went along with the actions, offering Dean peace through his response to the older boys touch. It wasn't quick and rough and desperate as it usually was; they went slow, Dean's fingers shaking as he traced the already-familiar planes of Castiel's body under his fingers, and Castiel arched and curled beneath him. They were careful to be quiet, well aware of the other members in the house, but Castiel couldn't stop the soft sounds of pleasure he muffled against the side of Dean's neck.

Sex had become a common event since Christmas Eve, but never had Dean been this tender and careful. The older boy was treating Castiel like a porcelain doll, his fingers lacing through Castiel's were they rested above his head as the two moved in silent unison, their jaws tight as they fought the urge to voice their thoughts and pleasure. Dean's eyes burned holes into Castiel's, the green rich with flecks of gold and the pupils blown wide with arousal and something a little darker.

Castiel could see himself reflected there, forehead slick with sweat and blue irises almost swallowed by pupil. His barely-there muscles flexing under his skin, his neck a pale line as he tossed his head back in attempt to fight the soft sound that managed to leak its way past his lips regardless. Dean squeezed his fingers, slotting his lips gently over Castiel's and swallowing the sounds with a content hum.

It was something beautiful, tender; making love, rather than sex.

It was a bitter-sweet feeling when it was over, Dean's forehead pressed to Castiel's shoulder as the two laid in sated exhaustion. Castiel combed his fingers thoughtfully through Dean's hair, watching the sweat-damp mass stick up in uneven spikes and smiling to himself as Dean muttered a protest against his skin. When the younger boy continued his actions, Dean retaliated with a saliva-rich slide of his tongue over Castiel's ribcage.

"Dean!" He protested, making a face as he leaned over the edge of the bed and grabbed one of the discarded items of clothing – Dean's shirt – and slid it on over his head, protecting himself.

"Oh come on," Dean chuckled- the first laugh Castiel had heard out of him. "You certainly didn't mind having other liquids on you,"

"Ah, and so you remind me why I hate laying with you after sex," Castiel rolled his eyes, passing Dean his boxers and watching as the older boy pulled the small scrap of clothing on before doing so with his own underwear.

"Hey, I'm allowed to boast," Dean chuckled, laying back against the pillows and opening his arms. Castiel settled into his usual place against Dean's side, one arm thrown over the older boys waist and his head resting over the steady pounding of his heart.

"I suppose you are," Castiel sighed, kissing Dean's collarbone gently before adding. "Are you alright, now?"

"Not really," Dean surprised Castiel with the admission. "But I'm getting there."

Castiel nodded hesitantly, pressing a bit closer to his boyfriends side and exhaling a content breath as Dean's lips brushed over his forehead.

"I'm going away for a week or two," Dean announced a moment later, his fingers tracing the line of Castiel's spine through Castiel's – Dean's – shirt. "Sam will be around, though. Maybe you can take him out driving? I know it's not legal, but… There's not many cops around her to stop you,"

"Of course," Castiel muttered, his heart dropping in his chest; he hated the trips Dean disappeared on, but never had he been gone for more than two weeks… He could handle it.

"And text me if your brothers cause an issue, alright? I'll come back," Dean muttered, his voice tight with anger at the mere mention of Lucifer and Michael.

"Yes, Dean."

"And… Just text me in general, alright?"

"I always do,"

"Yeah,"

"Dean?" Castiel tilted his head back to look at the older boy and Dean arched an eyebrow. "I love you."

It wasn't the first time they'd exchanged the words, though it was the first time it had been said outside the throes of passion. Something warm glowed in Dean's eyes before a frigid glaze swept it quickly away, the older boy's momentary smile fading away to a distressed puckering of his lips.

"Yeah… I know." He replied, before closing his eyes and letting his head fall back against the pillows.

Castiel choked down his disappointment and his embarrassment, his eyes staring at nothing as he rested his head against Dean's chest once more, holding tightly to the older boy in his embrace. Swallowing hard, he took a moment to close his eyes and send a silent prayer to the angel that he was named after;

Help him get through this, whatever it is. Help us get through this.

xXxXxXxXx

Hey, guys! Sorry this update took so long! I've been swamped with school work lately.

Sorry for the shitty chapter!

Anyways... I've giving you a definite chapter count now; there's only going to be 15 chapters, because this has become a monster of a fanfiction and there's not more I can drag out of it... Again, don't panic; there is a sequel.

Anyways... SEASON NINE STARTS ON TUESDAY! AH!

Here's an awesome Destiel video:

watch?v=Bf37i-RD1I