The door to Castiel's old bedroom did open again. Not for him, but for Ambriel; so that she could have a spot in the bunker to call her own, even though she didn't require sleep. Passing by the open doorway one evening, Castiel smiled when he saw that the angel-warrior had picked some late-season wildflowers and placed them in a red plastic cup.

Castiel greatly appreciated his new sleeping arrangements. After curing Sam and thoroughly making-out in the kitchen, Dean and the former angel stumbled their way into Dean's bedroom, laughing and kissing and settling into a new way of communication that didn't involve mixed signals.

But if Castiel was being honest with himself, his favorite part had been the morning after.

"Cas… wake up."

Lips, familiar lips, pressed to his neck, easing him out his contended slumber. Nothing could have prepared him for the total bliss that came with a full eight hours after two months of sleeping in hard motel beds and in the back seat of his car. His muscles were relaxed and his eyelids heavy, growing lighter as his senses returned to him. Dean's breath caressed his skin while the hunter swirled his tongue around the Castiel's collarbones. Hmmm… Maybe if he kept his eyes closed, Dean would continue that particular activity for the rest of their days.

"C'mon, it's almost nine…"

Nine o'clock seemed like a perfectly reasonable time to sleep until in Castiel's mind; ten or eleven would be even better. But then Dean's hand, splayed over his stomach, started to move in deliberate, feathery stroking movements and that didn't feel good at all, not in the traditional way. Nevertheless, Castiel felt an involuntary laugh bubble up in his chest as his eyes shot open.

"Dean, wait, you have to stop that—"

But Dean only laughed as Castiel squirmed and shouted with laugher. His eyes were fully open now, and Dean crawled over him, caging him in a hell made of only—

"Really Cas? You're that ticklish?"

Castiel, his breath coming shallow, took advantage of Dean's momentary lapse in judgment to grasp at his friend's waist and flip them over, effectively pinning Dean beneath him on the far right side of the bed. His arms landed above his head and Castiel took the opportunity to thread their fingers together, noting Dean's eyes darkening by the second.

"I don't think I care for that particular sensation." Castiel's voice came out like a growl, but his eyes were playful.

Dean grinned, open mouthed and fox-like. "Duly noted."

Castiel's nerves settled from the "attack" and he began to take more notice of the fine specimen beneath him. Despite day old stubble and ever-settling crow's feet, Dean looked younger than when he had met him almost five years ago. His shoulders settled back into the bed, relaxed and open, and his hands gripped at Castiel's like he was afraid the former angel would let go. Their smiles faded, eyes darkening as feelings of mutual possession crept into the bed with them until Castiel had no choice but to lean down and press his lips to Dean's in a sudden, open-mouthed kiss.

Although many other fun activities had been explored and thoroughly enjoyed the night before, Castiel knew he would never tire of just being able to kiss Dean whenever they both deemed in appropriate. He knew it had little to do with the perfunctory meeting of lips and everything to do with how Dean squeezed at his hands and arched his back to gain more contact, their breath mingling with their barely-audible moans. He obliged the unsaid request, unlacing their hands so that Dean could pull him closer, running his hands down the former-angel's back while Castiel settled on his forearms so that they were chest to chest, lips parting and tongues curling into each other's mouths. Teeth clacked and their noses mashed together but Castiel could only be concerned with breathing in Dean, in sharing space and air and anything he would give.

Dean broke away, taking Castiel's face in his hands. His eyes were wild, hair spiked in all directions from sleep and Castiel's fingers. "What the hell is this, man?" His voice was even rougher than usual, something dark and fearful lingering behind his eyes.

Castiel felt a pull at his chest; knowing the real question being asked. Are you going to leave again? Are you going to leave me behind? Thinking of the angel wandering the halls and Kevin's ever-growing piles of tablet translations, he knew they would be called to arms soon. The question was whether he would further danger the Winchesters and bring them into the fight.

Dean's eyes flickered with hurt at Castiel's pleading silence ringing with the answer: please don't ask me this yet. He didn't press the subject, instead he swallowed and grasped at the hairs at the base of Castiel's neck to pull him in for another mind-numbing kiss, effectively answering with Let's talk about it another day.

Autumn crept into the bunker sooner rather than later. A crisp draft whistled through the hallways and a single lone pumpkin appeared on the kitchen table, probably bought by Sam the farmers market. A few weeks went by, with the housemates settling into new routines and reviving old ones. Castiel enjoyed his time with Dean, but felt a distinct warmth for the rest of this strange, new family. And while Cas would rather like to be sprawled out on Dean's bed all the time, memorizing every detail of the hunter's freckled, perfect skin, they did find other ways to occupy themselves.

The first time they caught each other eaves-dropping on Kevin and Ambriel they laughed it off, but formed an unspoken agreement to continue the ritual. The two often convened in the library, where Ambriel would stare at the young prophet while he translated the ancient word of God, offering unsolicited advice and remarks. Kevin would respond on a spectrum of frustration and embarrassment, providing fine entertainment for Dean and his former angel.

"Now, Kevin, I realize the tablet was not meant for angels, but you might want to rethink that translation. The syntax seems off." Ambriel, her feet propped up on the round table, shuffled through a stack of papers before finding the one she wanted, handing it to Kevin. It was any old Tuesday afternoon, and Dean and Castiel met up as usual outside of the library, listening and watching through a crack in the doorway.

"What? Oh… here? Yeah I'll rework it later…" Cas noted Kevin's redness in his usually brown-based complexion. Dean snickered beside him. "Listen Ambriel-"

"I wasn't aware that I stopped listening."

"No—it's just a—never mind."

The angel set her feet down on the ground, turning to face Kevin properly. "Was there something in particular you wanted me to listen to? Something pertaining to our goals, perhaps?"

Kevin cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. "No, it's nothing. Let's just get back to the tablet." He tapped the stone slab with his pen, as if to show his dedication to the cause.

"Of course."

Dean came up close behind Castiel, whispering almost inaudibly in his ear, "And here I thought Kevin had some game…"

"Ambriel is not just a girl," Castiel muttered back. He felt a surge of protectiveness towards his angel partner in crime.

"Oh I know," Dean assured him, "All the more reason he's gotta step it up—"

"Shhh she just said something!"

Ambriel had broken the silence. "I find that I'm still curious about what you planned on saying."

"Yeah, that's a human thing." Kevin smirked, more to himself than the angel.

"But I'm not human, but an angel with a human body."

"True, but I don't think you guys are all angel anymore." Ambriel furrowed her brows, and Kevin quickly righted himself, "I mean- don't get me wrong, you're still a total badass and everything, but having your own body has got to affect you somehow."

Ambriel looked away, as if genuinely pondering the concept. "… Perhaps. It's an interesting notion, to be sure."

"Yeah."

Dean stayed silent, more riveted by the tension in the library than the chemistry between his fictional doctors on Dr. Sexy M.D. Kevin continued on, looking Ambriel square on now.

"Does it affect you?"

"Does what affect me?"

"Having your own body now? Instead of a vessel?"

Ambriel look as if all of the sudden she was very interested in her hands. She twisted her fingers around as if fascinated by the tendons and bones and muscles at their work, a motion Castiel himself used to ground himself in his own new body. "It's difficult to say," She began, "It feels… not comfortable, but almost… invisible. With Liz, my previous vessel, it felt almost like a completion of my essence. She was my perfect vessel, but still a vessel and she deserved to have a life of her own. This new body, it doesn't feel like anything, it just… is."

"In a good way?"

"I'm still pondering that myself. I'll be sure to let you know when I figure it all out, so to speak."

"Make sure you do."

A few beats passed. Castiel's mind wandered, wondering if there was sufficient bread enough to make a sandwich in the kitchen. And turkey. The lettuce had only been a little wilted yesterday—

Kevin's voice, soft this time, brought them both out of their thoughts.

"Ambriel?"

"Yes?"

"My eyes are crossing and I can't stare at this anymore. Wanna go for a walk?"

"What's our destination?"

"No destination. I could show you around town, take a look at the river…"

"Is this going to lead to copulation?"

"WHAT? No- I mean—jeez. It doesn't have to lead to anything… unless you want it to."

"I think I'd like that very much, Kevin."

The whole exchange was so quick, and Dean and Cas stood frozen in the doorway, jerking back to life only when Kevin and Ambriel headed towards the doorway they were shrouded in. They sprinted to the kitchen and attempted to act natural. The prophet and the angel gave them funny looks when they passed by before Kevin threw a quick "We'll be back later!" over his shoulder. The heavy hatch door slammed shut, and Dean doubled over in laugher. Castiel rolled his eyes and tried to decipher what Dean was saying through the wheezing and shout-laugher coming from his friend.

"The funny thing is," he wiped tears from his eyes, "—I know how he feels."

It was a unusually warm Wednesday in late September that found Dean and Castiel haggardly tailing Sam, who was out for a run. Dean's shorts were definitely starting to chafe, and Castiel's t-shirt was soaked through with sweat as their second hand tennis shoes slapped drunkenly against the pavement. At the close of the fifth mile, Cas gave up, pausing on the roadside to draw wheezing breaths, hands braced against his sweat-slicked thighs. Dean watched Sam round a bend, just a merrily bobbing speck in the distance, before turning back for his former angel, his body practically crying out in relief as he slowed to a shaky walk.

"I think it's safe to say," Castiel puffed out as Dean approached, flicking his shirt away from his damp skin, "That Sam is fully recovered."

"I think I have to agree," Dean admitted, crouching beside Cas with a wince as his muscles protested, "You okay?"

Castiel nodded, straightening to push the dark straggles of hair back from his forehead, leaving the tousled mess even more gravity-defiant than usual.

"I just needed a minute," Cas confirmed, offering Dean a hand up.

"You and me both," Dean agreed, "What do you say we head home, get out of these nerdy shorts and get up to some heavy petting in the shower?"

"I thought you'd never ask."

"I've been looking through our archives here," Sam was wrapping up, "And it looks like the first component is in a maritime museum on Lake Champlain."

"This is it, Castiel," Ambriel declared, "Our chance to save all our brothers and sisters! We could reopen Heaven!"

"Yes," Castiel agreed, a grin spreading over his full lips, "We should depart as soon as possible."

Dean tried to smile along with Castiel. Really, he tried, but it was like dragging the Impala out of a mud soaked ditch. Impossible. Castiel was leaving again. Dean looked at Sam and Kevin in confusion, watching their mouths moving animatedly but not hearing the sounds coming out. Didn't they get it? Kevin had spent the last month hanging on Ambriel's every word, and Dean had seen Sam and Castiel huddled over more than one ancient text in the library, geeking out over some old piece of knowledge. Maybe they were too caught up in the relief of making progress. Maybe they didn't realize that this meant Castiel was going back on the road, and maybe eventually back to Heaven.

Only Crowley, semi-unwelcome as usual, was looking at Dean, knowing laughter in his beady little eyes as he perched against the doorway. Dean glared at the half-demon, but Crowley only rolled his eyes.

"Castiel," Crowley called, interrupting the excited conversation that Dean had barely heard any of, "I think you and your lumberjack need to have a word. He seems confused." Everyone paused with the shuffling of tablet notes and Dean caught Sam looking at him quizzically before Castiel started talking, still caught up in the enthusiasm of Kevin's translating breakthrough.

"Yes, Dean," Castiel exclaimed, grabbing Dean's hand and leading him away from the map covered table, "We can worry about strategy on the road. First we need to get ready."

"Hang on," Dean urged as Castiel practically dragged him back to their room, "Cas, slow down-"Give me a minute to wrap my head around this, Dean thought to himself. Give me a minute to say goodbye this time. Castiel was moving through the room with a soldier's efficiency, digging two canvas bags out of the closet and tossing them at the foot of the bed as he moved on to the dresser. Dean eyed the two bags in uncertainty. Was one of those for Ambriel? She really didn't have that much stuff.

"You should get packed," Castiel was saying, "So we can leave first thing in the morning."

"What?" Dean was having a hard time decoding here. He was still working on a plan to get Castiel to wait for a few days before he left. Why did he need to pack anything?

"You need to put your kit together," Castiel enunciated clearly, "So we can head for New York before the weather gets too bad."

"We?" Dean was experiencing a strange tremor in his hands.

"Yes, you and I," Castiel continued, grabbing a stack of t-shirts out of one of their shared drawers, "Do you want to drive or should I do a check on the Cavalier?"

"I'm coming with you?"

Castiel must have finally registered the confusion in Dean's voice because he paused in his rummaging, eyes wide as he turned to really look at Dean since they'd left the war room.

"You didn't listen to a thing Sam said," Castiel guessed, mouth wry as he closed the space between them.

Dean was trying to cling to his last shreds of composure because he was a badass and damn it badasses didn't shake, with relief or otherwise. Nonetheless he allowed Castiel to wrap him in a tight embrace, burying his face in the former angel's neck as it became apparent that he'd just revealed himself to be a totally vulnerable idiot. Castiel didn't seem to upset about it, kissing the blush away from Dean's cheeks before leaning their foreheads together.

"You thought I was intending to leave you again," Castiel murmured, newly calloused hands framing Dean's jaw, "Dean, I'm sorry."

"S'okay," Dean mumbled, loosening his hands where they had bunched in the excess fabric of Castiel's borrowed shirt, "I shoulda known better."

"It's not as if I've had a very good record thus far," Castiel admitted, tracing circles over Dean's cheekbones. Dean caught Castiel's wrist, pressing a kiss to his palm as he gave a stern look that said quit blaming yourself. They'd both pulled each other out of Hell too many times to be holding on to anger now.

"So…" Dean began, looping Castiel's arms over his shoulders and tugging the angel in close, "You wanna run the plan by me again?"

"You mean for tonight?" Castiel inquired with a quirked brow, "Or were you thinking more long term?"

Dean considered, fingers counting the faint indents of Castiel's spine under the hem of his shirt.

"Let's start with the long term," he decided, "And see how it goes."

"Alright," Castiel agreed, "You know about the key Kevin found."

"Yeah. Three parts, put 'em together and unlock Heaven," Dean said, "I lost you after Ambriel started talking about reopening Heaven and you started talking about hitting the road."

"I started talking about us hitting the road," Castiel corrected, "Sam agreed entirely. He and Kevin will remain here to continue researching while you and I go to Lake Champlain."

"And Ambriel's just gonna sit pretty?" Dean asked, brow furrowed, "Doesn't really sound like her." Despite their initial butting heads, Dean had to admit the fallen angel was a pretty kick ass chick. She'd proven invaluable in helping Kevin with his translating, and she'd thrown Dean for a loop when she turned out to be one of the best pool hustlers he had ever trained.

Castiel shook his head. "Ambriel is returning to her role as messenger," he continued, "She'll take advantage of her teleporting to keep us connected, as well as update Hadarniel and some of the other angels as to our progress. Honestly I think she's looking forward to it."

"That's good," Dean mused, eyeing his open duffle bag at the foot of his bed, "So just you and me on the road, huh?"

Castiel nuzzled into Dean's neck, hands slipping under the hem of his t-shirt to wrap around his back. "Just you," he promised, kissing the last inch of Dean's shoulder, "Me," another kiss against the bolt of his jaw, "and the vehicle of your choosing."

Dean caught Castiel's mouth in a loose kiss as he thought it over, relishing the slight burn of the former angel's five o'clockshadow. Castiel's skin was warm, both from the touch of Dean's lips and the glow of the bedside lamp that cast a golden halo into the room they had shared since Castiel had returned.

"If there's gonna be snow," he murmured against Castiel's jaw, "Then we're not taking the Impala."

Dean felt Castiel's grin as he nipped just under Dean's ear. "Then I guess I'm driving."

Just like that Castiel pulled away, leaving a quick slap against Dean's backside before returning to the drawers he had been rustling through. Dean blinked as Castiel efficiently tossed clothes and weaponry into their bags. It wasn't until Castiel disappeared into the bathroom down the hall that Dean's brain caught up to the slight sting of Castiel's hand on his ass and he scampered after the former angel. If that "driving" line had been a double entendre, Dean couldn't wait to find out.

Dean woke up totally naked, a little sore, and deeply content. The ghost of Castiel's touch was still all over him, and Dean breathed deep into his pillow, the angel's scent warm in his lungs. They were gonna have to make a drug store run on the way out of town, because Dean had two weeks on the road with Cas and he was planning on a repeat of last night as often as possible. Dean hummed, and he heard a deep chuckle as the mattress shifted slightly beside him. He peeked open one eyelid to catch his angel sinking down onto the bed. Castiel was scribbling something in his journal, tucking the book away quickly once he noticed Dean was watching. Cas was dressed already, smiling about something secret as he jingled his keys and kissed Dean on the mouth, light and chaste.

"Get ready," he ordered, running a hand through Dean's hair before heading for the door, "I'm gonna warm up the car. Also, I think Sam's attempting to make us breakfast, so keep an ear out for the fire alarm."

Dean stretched as he watched Castiel go, admiring the strong arc of his shoulders and the curve of his butt in the more fitted jeans they had finally gotten for him a few weeks back. As soon as the former angel was safely out of the room Dean flicked his own journal open to the most recent page to see what Castiel had been writing when he woke up. A heady, satisfying warmth filled Dean from head to toe as he absorbed the short entry. It was a promise, an answer to a question that Dean had been waiting to ask for too long now.

Don't be afraid. I will never leave you again.

Dean showered and dressed himself with a lightness unknown since he'd gone to Hell. A certainty was approaching, a definite that had long in the coming. As he stood in the door way of his and Castiel's shared bedroom, duffle in one hand, journal in the other, Dean saw the rest of his life laid out in front of him, and for the first time he wasn't scared. He flipped the journal back open to the most recent page, a slow grin filling out his features as he reread Castiel's words. Fearlessly, Dean scratched in a response with a cap-less paper-mate, knowing his angel was most likely waiting for his writing to appear in the journal's twin.

I love you. I can't wait to tell you in person.