Castiel and Balthazar were standing by the practice arena while Lucifer and Michael circled each other. Across from them, Azrael, Gabriel and Rafael watched and spoke with each other, their many sets of wings standing out in bright reds, golds, and purples, contrasting with the cool blues of the Seraphim.

"He is beautiful," Balthazar lamented. "Is he not perfection, Cassie?"

Castiel had to agree that Lucifer was beautiful. "Yes, Balthazar. He is beautiful."

"I am in love with him."

Castiel wrapped his arm around his brother. "I know, dear one."

Michael and Lucifer clashed swords over and over. Sometimes Lucifer had the upper hand, sometimes Michael, though Michael of course won in the end. He was the leader of God's Army, after all. If Lucifer had been able to defeat him, he'd be forced to give up his place.

It had been a few eons since Castiel's first encounter with Lucifer, though neither he nor the Archangel had ever forgotten. They always exchanged kind nods when they crossed paths, and more than once, Lucifer had outright smiled at Castiel. Lately, though, Lucifer had taken to approaching Castiel while he was with Balthazar, asking Castiel a few questions, then turning his full attention to Castiel's handsome blonde brother.

Castiel wouldn't lie and say it didn't make him jealous. He held a bit of hero worship for Lucifer, and a crush had simply been inevitable. It didn't help that Lucifer was beautiful and golden with warm green eyes the color of pond water when the light bounced and danced off of it. His wings were just the same, deep green with gold accents, sparkling and shining like the Light Bearer he was named to be.

"I want to mate with him," Balthazar whispered. "I ache for it, Cassie. I shall die if I do not."

The pain in his voice let Castiel know that his own pain was nothing to his brother's. "I know, Bal."

"But what if…what if he doesn't love me as I love him?"

The two Archangels in the ring halted their dance of swords and Lucifer's eye was drawn to the two young Seraphim that were watching him so intently. His eyes were warm and friendly for Castiel, but when they moved to Balthazar, they took on a decidedly different tone.

"I do not believe you have to worry about that," Castiel said sadly, laying a hand on his friend's shoulder as he turned to walk away. He didn't want to be there so that Lucifer could ignore him in favor of his closest friend and brother that day. He felt a little too sad and jealous for that at the moment. "I shall see you later, dearest," he said over his shoulder. "Be good."

Balthazar smiled. "I am always good, darling."

Castiel gasped and awoke, disoriented and choking on something. His head throbbed with each pulse of his heartbeat, and he felt like it might explode.

"Easy," someone said kindly, helping him sit up. Something wet trickled down his upper lip. "Ooh, here…"

Kleenex were shoved into his hands and he bowed his face towards them, choking as a huge blood clot came slithering out of his nose like some slimy, living entity.

"Ugh, ew, careful," the same voice said. Castiel's head swam as he tried to make sense of his surroundings and those same hands took his soiled Kleenex.

"He does not love me," Castiel said forlornly. "He-he does not."

"Shhhh, Cas," the voice said, and a warm arm moved around his shoulder. "Of course he loves you. Any idiot could see that he loves you."

Fresh Kleenex were pressed into his hand and he dropped his head forward onto them, letting the blood flow freely from his nose.

"Adam, get me an ice pack."

Sam. He was with Sam and he was lying on a bed. His head throbbed and blood wouldn't stop leaking from his nose. He recalled the events of the morning and started to worry about Jess.

"Jess?" Castiel asked.

"She's fine. Shit, Cas," Sam rasped out. "We didn't even know…but she said you…"

Castiel looked up from his Kleenex and nodded miserably, tears still falling from his eyes. "I am glad she is well," he whispered hoarsely. "Your child should be fine."

"He's awake?" Dean asked, rushing into the room and kneeling before Castiel, his hands going to Castiel's face. "You scared me! How are you-?"

Castiel shook his head, taking Dean's hands and squeezing them. "I ab fide, Dead. I healed, I did dot destroy. Dere was do chance of be losing byself to vengeandce."

Dean crawled onto the bed with Castiel and held him close. Adam came with the ice pack and Dean applied it to the back of Castiel's head. Castiel smiled to himself, enjoying the feel of Dean's chest against his face. However nice it was, though, it was apparent after only a few minutes that neither the headache nor the bleeding would be dissipating any time soon, and he reluctantly lifted his head from its resting place.

"Dead, I ab afraid dat I ab out of power for de tibe beig and caddot heal byself. I deed you to call Baltazar or Lucifer to heal be."

Dean looked concerned, frightened, and just a bit apprehensive, but as he switched out the Kleenex again, it was painfully obvious that they needed more than ice packs and aspirin, so he grabbed his phone and made the call.

Lucifer and Balthazar both flew the minute Dean hung up the phone, not bothering to put away their wings as they burst into the room, all concerned energy and fear.

"Cassie!" Balthazar shouted, rushing to him and pulling him from Dean's arms. "Father, this does not look good. What did you do?"

Dean explained in a short manner of time, and Lucifer decided the best course of action was to start berating the Hunter.

"What did I tell you? He could be dead by now, you idiot!"

Castiel tugged on Lucifer's sleeve. "Please, Lucy. I bade de choice to do it."

Lucifer knelt next to the bed and took Castiel's face in his hands, healing him as he caressed him lightly. "You called me Lucy," he remarked.

Castiel nodded. "I remembered some things about us, brother."

Lucifer rubbed his thumb over Castiel's cheekbone. "You're coming back to me," he said with a smile. "I'm so happy."

Castiel frowned. "Lucifer, I'm…I'm sorry. For the way I behaved when…Balthazar? I did not mean…"

Both Angels crowded Dean away from Castiel and put their arms around them, making the hunter look decidedly unhappy.

"Well, I guess I'll just leave the three of you alone," he grumbled, drawing Castiel's attention away from his friends.

"Wait, Dean…"

Dean shook his head. "It's okay, they're your—"

He was cut off by Castiel standing, grabbing his shirt, and hauling him down for a kiss. "Forgive me, Dean, but I will not allow you to use this as an excuse to push me away. My brothers and I have much history together, and require some time to work out some problems that we left each other with several hundred years ago, but that does not change the way I feel about you in the slightest."

Dean's eyes opened wide. "Why are you talking like friggin' Shakespeare, man?"

Balthazar and Lucifer chuckled behind them. Castiel shot them both a frown, then turned back to his Hunter. "Yes, I have been informed for many eons that my way of speaking is rather formal."

Lucifer let out an outright laugh. "You should have heard him when he was a fledgling," he snickered. In a low, gravelly voice, the Archangel said, "Luthifer, Joshua hath thent me to you that I might train at your thide." He and Balthazar exchanged a mirthful look. "It was so adorable, his little face so very serious and his voice so low, but the tiniest little lisp you could imagine."

Balthazar nodded. "Naomi would call on him in class, I swear, so that she could hear him say, 'The wayth of the Father are love, truth and obedienth."

Castiel just barely kept himself from rolling his eyes. "I am happy my speech impediment was so amusing to you both."

"Oh, don't be like that, darling," Balthazar said. "You were adorable. We loved you."

Castiel felt an ages-old ache in his chest and he turned to his friend, a rueful smile twisting his lips. Balthazar looked down, ashamed, and Lucifer looked sad. Dean, as though sensing the change in atmosphere, cleared his throat.

"Well, I…guess I should leave the three of you to reminisce for a while, huh?"

Castiel caressed his cheek and smiled softly. "Yes, my love. We have a few items to discuss, but we shall be done soon. Then you and I shall speak."

Dean raised an eyebrow. "Great. I'm dating Romeo."

"Guess that makes you Juliette," Balthazar said gleefully. "You would look awfully pretty in maroon velvet, you know."

Dean shot the Angel a look, then left the room and closed the door, giving Castiel and his brothers some privacy.

"Balthazar, I would appreciate it if you would not goad my mate."

"He's such an easy target, though."

Castiel rolled his eyes at Balthazar. "Please, can we not argue?"

Balthazar pulled Castiel into a full-body hug. "I told you we were friends once."

Castiel pulled out from the hug. "Are we no longer?"

"Of course we are," Balthazar assured him. "I have never stopped being your friend."

Castiel looked from him to Lucifer. "I said many things to both of you. Things that I regretted the minute they left my mouth."

"They are forgot," Lucifer promised. "How much do you remember?"

Castiel sat back down on the bed. He was still very weary and drained, and he felt hungry. "I remember bits and pieces. I remember you helped me heal myself one day when I was very young, and then I remember Balthazar and you falling in love and…and I remember when you came to me for my blessing." He looked down, ashamed of the words he had spoken to Lucifer. He had been bitter and hurt that the Archangel hadn't looked to him, but to his friend instead.

Lucifer lifted Castiel's chin with his fingers. "Castiel, let us forget it. Please, I would rather have you as my friend now, back in the flock, than out there without us. I have always loved you and so has Balthazar. Not the love that you maybe wanted me to have for you, but I think you no longer feel that way?"

Castiel nodded. "I have not felt that way for quite some time, long before I came here to this earth. I don't really know how I know, but I do. I feel it. My memories are returning, but slowly." He put his head down and Balthazar reached out to touch him, healing the headache that was threatening to return.

"He needs food and rest," Balthazar said. "I will tell Dean."

Lucifer frowned. "There are a great many things I would like to tell Dean."

Castiel reached out his hand and grabbed Lucifer's forearm. "Please, Lu. He is a good man, and he cares for me. He and I have spoken of many things, and I know that he would not willingly hurt me. We were told by a Seer that I should not be afraid of my power, and I wasn't. I made the choice, Dean was busy banishing the Fairy."

"Very well," Lucifer nodded. "I will merely warn him with bodily harm should he hurt you. It is my duty as your brother and your protector."

Castiel smiled. "And my General."

}O{

Dean had been afraid of a lot of things. That Castiel would leave with Balthazar and Lucifer, that he was in some sort of three-way relationship with them and he wouldn't want Dean anymore, and most absurdly, that he would never lean against Dean again for comfort. Dean didn't really know why he liked it when Castiel rested his head against his shoulder, he just did. It appeared that the first of his fears were unfounded, however, because Lucifer and Balthazar took off shortly after Dean relocated everyone back to his place.

Jessica, it turned out, wasn't comfortable staying at their apartment for the night, and maybe even for longer, so Dean suggested that she and Sam come home with him. Both Sam and Jess seemed happy about that, and not for the first time, Dean wondered about converting the attic into a little apartment for his brother. He hated having Sammy so far away (even if it was just a few blocks), and with the new baby, well, it made sense to have them close by. Dean was even thinking that it would make more sense to let Sam have the run of the second floor, and he and Castiel could take the attic themselves.

Of course, he had already started thinking about Castiel as a permanent fixture at his house. The Angel hadn't mentioned moving back to his apartment, and as far as Dean knew, even Lucifer and Balthazar hadn't brought it up yet. If anything, the Archangel and his mate were behaving as though Castiel and Dean were a sure thing. How they could be so confident was beyond him, but there it was. Their confidence also gave him confidence, so when Lucifer and Balthazar took their leave and Castiel stayed behind, Dean allowed the tiny little grain of hope in his chest to blossom just the smallest bit.

The second fear was assuaged when as they left, they did little more than give Castiel brotherly hugs of the sort that Dean might share with Sam or Adam, combined with a threat from Lucifer that if Dean ever hurt Castiel in any way, Lucifer would be sure that Dean was never heard from again, led Dean to believe that there was nothing to worry about there. They had been friends, brothers, as Castiel had said.

After that, Dean ordered a pizza and he and his brothers, Cas and Jess sat around the kitchen table to eat it. Without waiting for an invitation, Castiel moved his chair close to Dean's and leaned his head against his shoulder, looking up at him with those big, blue eyes, opening his mouth like a baby bird for Dean to feed him. Dean smiled at that and held a slice to his lips, loving the way Castiel's hand curled around his wrist and the way his mouth moved around the pizza.

"Oh, wow," Jess cooed. "It's just as cute as you said it is!"

"Yeah," Sam said dryly. "So cute."

Dean shot him a look, but then Castiel nestled even closer into his side and kissed his shoulder, and Dean decided he didn't care how cute he looked. Unfortunately by the time they were done eating, Castiel looked like he was about to drop from sheer exhaustion. Dean couldn't forget the last incident and the dreams Castiel had been plagued with following it, so he showed the Angel to his room so that he could put Sam and Jess in the guest room. It used to be Sam's room back in the day, but Sam had taken most of his furniture and personal belongings when he left for his own apartment, so very little of Sam's childhood remained. Just the peeling wallpaper and an Asia poster that he'd had framed for some reason. Dean had every intention of putting fresh sheets on the bed, but Jess and Sam seemed to think he should be elsewhere.

"We can change the sheets ourselves," Sam pointed out. "This is my house, too, you know."

When Dean looked like he was going to object, Jess stepped in. "Castiel looks like death warmed over. Go take care of him. We can look after ourselves."

Dean agreed reluctantly, but only because he was very concerned about Castiel.

He found the Angel sitting on the side of the bed, just staring into nothing. When his eyes lighted on Dean, a smiled played around his lips.

"Hello, Dean."

"Hey, Cas. You need some help?"

In answer, the Angel raised both arms so that Dean could slip his shirt over his head for him.

"You're such a baby," Dean teased. "I have to feed you and dress you. Do you need me to shower you off, too?"

Castiel grabbed Dean's shirt and pulled him down with more strength than Dean thought he possessed at the moment. "I may find that quite enjoyable," he mused before kissing Dean so soundly that his toes actually curled.

He followed the inexorable pull on his collar until he was stretching out full length onto Castiel, enjoying the feel of the Angel's long, lithe body beneath him. Dean opened his mouth against Castiel's, sliding his tongue inside and exploring the soft heat, enjoying his taste and his feel. Castiel kept his hold on Dean's collar with one hand and snaked his other hand up Dean's shirt, his palm flat against Dean's back, warm and exploratory, moving over as much as he could reach, pressing between his shoulder blades to bring them closer. Dean cradled Castiel's head in his hands, stroking his thumbs over cheek bones, threading through soft, wild hair, caressing the back of his neck.

Eventually, Castiel's hold loosened and he sagged back against the pillow. Dean continued to kiss him, rubbing his lips over the Angel's chin, cheeks, lips, touching still, softly, not as insistent. The Angel was clearly drained, but Dean didn't want to leave him just yet. It seemed that Castiel felt the same way.

"You will stay with me," he commanded. "All night."

Dean nodded. "If you want me to."

"Yes, I do."

Dean kissed him once more. "Then I'll stay with you."

Castiel sighed and closed his eyes, his arms dropping to his sides. Dean crawled off of him, realizing that the Angel was still wearing his jeans and boots.

"Baby," he chided gently before removing the rest of their clothing, then moved them both beneath the covers and they fell into a deep, untroubled sleep.

As a Hunter, Dean only needed four hours of sleep, so when he awoke just after dawn, he was amazed that he had managed five. Usually he didn't even try to sleep until sometime after two in the morning, so waking up feeling so good, having slept in for so long, and next to his sweet Angel, was better than anything he could think of.

He didn't want to get up right away like he usually did. Not that he didn't have anything to do; in fact, he knew he should troll through old Uncle Herschel's journal for all of the information on Angels and mating with them that he could find, but Castiel had been so adamant that he stay last night and looked so beautiful when he was sleeping, that Dean didn't have the heart to leave. Instead, he lay there and watched over his Angel until long after he heard the others stirring and the old cuckoo clock downstairs chimed seven.

Since it didn't seem that Castiel would be getting up anytime soon (he hadn't even changed position for over an hour), Dean felt safe to go downstairs and make him a little breakfast. Of course, the others would give him a hard time about it, but Dean just didn't care. Let them say what they liked.

The kitchen was full, a sight that warmed his heart. Jess was manning the waffle iron and Sam was simmering blueberries with sugar to make syrup. Adam was wisely staying away from the action and drinking a cup of coffee at the table.

Jess frowned at him when he walked in. "If you give me grief for cooking while pregnant, I'll beat your ass," she warned.

Dean raised his hands in surrender. "I said nothing!"

She smiled and went back to the waffles while Dean started getting a tray set up for himself and Cas. Predictably, Adam and Sam started in on him.

"Breakfast in bed?" Adam smirked. "Was he that good?"

"It's not that he was that good," Sam corrected, "it's that Dean was that bad."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Hur hur, assholes. I'll have you know that Castiel is so beat from saving a certain Winchester: The Next Generation's ass yesterday that he hasn't even woken up yet. He's pretty weak, so you can start feeling like jerks any time you please."

Sam had the good sense to look abashed and Jess quickly plated two waffles and slapped golden butter on them while Adam went looking for a carafe for the coffee. Between the four of them, they had a tray put together in record time.

"Go feed your Angel," Jess said with only partial mock-gravity. "And tell him again that I said thank you." Jess seemed to think something over, then went to Dean and grabbed his arm. "And give him this," then kissed him on the cheek. "You can improvise if you feel he needs more."

Sam and Adam groaned at that, but Dean ignored them and went back to his bedroom. Castiel was tangled up in the sheets and curled around Dean's pillow. Dean set the tray at the foot of the bed and gently started combing his fingers through Castiel's hair, murmuring softly to him. "Wake up, buttercup. Sunshine and waffles are waiting for you."

Castiel frowned, then opened an eye. "I dreamed you left me."

"Just to get you breakfast," Dean said softly. "Wake up and I'll feed you."

"I like it when you feed me," Castiel admitted sheepishly as he sat up and adjusted pillows so he and Dean would be comfortable against the headboard.

Dean sat and adjusted the tray on his lap. "Good, because I like feeding you."

Castiel reached a finger into the little pitcher of syrup and tasted it. "Hmm…sweet."

Dean stared at his mouth for a second before swooping in to taste blueberries on those full lips. "Fuck you're better than pie," he breathed against Castiel's mouth.

Castiel laughed. "Wow…that's just the ultimate compliment coming from you."

"Hey, there's more where that came from! You know…just as soon as I think of them."

"If you ever tell me I'm a better ride than your Impala, it will be the death of you," Castiel threatened.

Dean looked hurt. "Like I would do that!" He started to cut up one of the waffles and added, "Like anything could ride as well as my baby," earning him a well-aimed punch to his shoulder.

You know how Dean knows Sam's gay? Because he has a framed Asia poster on his wall.

Thanks again for all the reviews guys. I just want you to know that I really do know where I'm going with this story. Just in case it seems that I don't.