Kryptonite – 3 Doors Down

You called me strong, you called me weak,
But still your secrets I will keep
You took for granted all the times
I never let you down
You stumbled in and bumped your head,
If not for me then you'd be dead
I picked you up and put you back on solid ground

Early morning the light filtered through Dean's window. It was early enough for him to realize that he shouldn't be awake yet. Going home with the red head had kept him out all night but he was glad that he'd managed to get away to sleep in his own bed alone.

He ran both hands over his face as he tried to wipe the sleepiness from his eyes. He knew he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Jo had been on his mind since she walked in the bar last night. He'd tried to distract himself with Anna but he couldn't seem to do it. And then when that douchebag Rick walked over, acting like a prince charming to lure Jo in, it had been the last straw. He knew he shouldn't have tried to forbid Jo from the date but damn, why couldn't she just listen to him for once without questioning? Damn her, she was always so contrary to anything he said.

Dean managed to sit up pulling the blankets off of him. Standing up, he ran his fingers through his hair one more time. Maybe Cas was up. He needed someone to talk to. He stood up and stretched before making his way to the door.

Passing Jo's door, he couldn't help but open it to make sure that she made it home safely. He was relieved to find her in her own bed, a mess of blond hair covering her beautiful face.

"You know you achieve creeper status when you stare at chicks while they sleep," came the all too familiar female voice behind him.

He closed his eyes before turning. "Meg."

The brunette lifted her eyebrow with a hint of a smirk on her face, clad only in one of Castiel's large worn Kansas State t-shirts and a cup of coffee steaming in her hands "I'm flattered you remember."

Dean frowned "What the hell are you doing here?"

She lifted the cup to sip and then spoke "Cas invited me."

"Dumb bastard," Dean mumbled

"Not exactly a nice way to talk about your best friend," she replied as he followed her into the living room, away from Jo's door.

"Well when my best friend stops bringing trash into the house, I'll be nicer."

Meg didn't react to the insult, she just stood there smiling.

Dean hated her smirk. He knew she did it just to piss him off. And no one pissed him off better than Meg. "What happened to your face? Another one of your boyfriends mistake it for a punching bag?"

The smirk faltered "You know it's not polite to point out a lady's flaws."

"I'll try to remember that as soon as I see one."

Meg recovered quickly "Why do you hate me so much, Winchester?"

Dean laughed at the open ended statement "Would probably be a shorter list to tell you why I don't hate you."

Meg settled herself into the corner of the couch, tucking her feet underneath her. "I think it's because I take Castiel's attention from you. When I'm around, he has less time to think about you."

"Actually I think I hate you most because you march in whenever you feel like fucking up his life. It's like you have Castiel happiness radar..as soon as his meter register's any joy, you show up with your baggage in tow to drown him in your endless drama."

"I don't have drama," she replied petulantly

"Of course you do. You are the freaking drama queen. You always have been. You get involved with guys who don't give a damn about you and you come running to Cas when you need an ego boost. You don't give a damn…"

"I do care about Castiel," Meg interjected

"If you cared about him," Dean argued "I mean really cared about him, you'd leave him alone. Let him find someone who can love him back."

Meg felt her face redden and the beginning of tears prick her eyes. His words had finally hit a mark. No, she wasn't in love with Castiel but she did care about him.

"Dean, that's enough." came the commanding voice of Castiel. He entered the living room in pajama bottoms and a tee.

Dean felt nauseous as he watched walk over to Meg and give her a kiss on the forehead.

"Why don't you wait for me in my room?" Castiel told her as he took her hand to help her rise from the couch.

Meg grabbed her cup of coffee and walked away.

Both men waited for the sound of the door closing behind her.

"What are you doing, Cas?" Dean demanded.

Castiel sighed as he lifted his hand to run through his already messy hair. This was the magic question. One he was not even sure he knew the answer to. "I'm helping…a friend."

"She's not your friend, Cas. Don't you remember last time?"

"I do," Castiel said quietly. He couldn't argue with the shambles Meg had left him in last time. Her alcoholism was at its peak level and it was too much to handle. After weeks of trying to keep her clean, all Azazel had to do was show up and smiles and she fell back into her old ways.

Dean remembered sitting quietly with a tearful Castiel when she left. It tore him up to see his best friend hurt that way. "She's trouble."

Castiel shrugged, his body feeling stressed but his blue eyes remained serene. "The same could be said for you, my friend."

Dean began to fume "Yeah well, last time I checked you weren't hopelessly in love with me."

Castiel gave Dean a small smile. The rumours of their relationship being more than best friends had followed them since they were kids. "Not anymore."

"Funny, Cas, real funny."

"Look Dean, I'm not in love with Meg," Castiel added and Dean began to protest but stopped when Castiel raised his hand "It's not like that anymore. I care about her. I'm just helping her. She's my friend."

"She doesn't know how to be a friend," Dean retorted.

"Maybe not," Castiel conceded "But you do."

"What does that mean?" Dean asked

"It means I'm asking you to be my friend..my best friend…"

"I'll always be your best friend, Cas," Dean said hoarsely

""Then trust me. I know what I'm doing. Ok?"

Dean sighed..maybe he should have stayed in bed. "Ok."

"And be nice," Castiel added.

"I'll do my best."