A/N: So sorry, this update is long overdue!

I've been amazingly lazy over the holidays and then college started and I am literally buried under work, and have had no time to write anything. Ew. But hopefully I'll be writing more now that I'm getting into the routine of things, so yeah. I'm sorry it was so late.

The first few minutes of the drive passed in a tense silence, until Cas asked, 'Where are you taking me?'

Dean turned to look at him for a long second before looking back at the road. 'Somewhere safe; away from my dad. He'll see the missing car, think I've gone looking for Sam, and won't question it. It'll be fine.'

Castiel didn't ask again, and the matter was dropped. They went silent again.

'I'm sorry,' Dean said. 'I never realised.'

'I hoped you felt the same way,' Cas admitted quietly. 'It was stupid of me.'

Dean didn't say anything. Castiel assumed it was because he didn't know what to say. The rest of the journey passed in silence, until they reached a lookout point over a river, and Dean parked the car in the empty space.

Castiel looked out through the windows. Dean did the same.

'It's not much, but it's away from dad, so I thought we could stay here.'

'Did you bring your latest girlfriend here too?'

Dean sighed and looked down. 'No. I suppose you haven't been keeping up with my life; since Lisa, I haven't had anyone else.'

Castiel turned to look at him. 'Why?' he asked quietly. 'Did you fall in love with her?'

Even though he didn't want to hear that perhaps yes, Dean has fallen in love with someone other than him, he wanted, for once, to know what the Winchester was truly feeling.

'She was different,' Dean eventually said. 'The others, they were great and all, but I'd never had that sort of connection with anyone else. Other than you,' he quickly added.

Castiel sat and took in the words. So was he being clumped with Lisa now, just a notch better than all the countless other girls Dean had slept with? Did Dean love both of them or neither of them? He prided Lisa on getting him to talk straight about his feelings because to Castiel, everything he was hearing sounded like riddles warped beyond comprehension.

When it became obvious Castiel wasn't going to answer, Dean changed the subject. 'I need you to help me find Sam.'

'That's what I came down here to do.'

'I'm sorry.'

'For what, Dean?'

'Leading you on.'

Castiel nodded. Took an unnecessary breath in. Exhaled. 'I forgive you.'

Dean nodded, and when Cas looked over, there was the ghost of a smile playing on the boy's lips. 'Thank you.' He paused. 'Cas?'

'Dean.'

'I don't tell people I love them. Ever. Because it puts them in danger. And I hurt them.' Another pause. 'But you do mean a lot to me.'

'Thank you.' Castiel looked down at his pale white hands. They were trembling slightly.

Dean nodded again, probably to acknowledge that his admonishment had been accepted.

'You should get some sleep,' Castiel said.

'Yeah,' Dean agreed, before crawling into the backseat of the impala. 'Come with? I promise you, Cas, I won't try anything.'

Castiel considered it, then climbed after the Winchester into the backseat. Dean smiled gently as Castiel sat stiffly on the backseat. Dean leaned against him, carefully judging to see whether the contact was accepted. Cas let him, and Dean fell asleep not long after. Cas wrapped his wings – invisible at the time – around the other boy's frame to protect him.