Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

So Dean and Cas have sex now quite regularly. They've been fondling each other and kissing a long time now, do just about everything together (even sleep together)…but, Dean has to wonder, does that qualify as a relationship?

Hard to say. Now that he's not as worried about the rest of it, he has more time to think about it.

Especially if you don't know if your partner even knows he's your partner. How do you have that discussion with the celestial being you're fucking? There are no books on that, Dean's looked and if they exist, the bunker likely has'em. Even Sam's not been much help on that front, which means Dean's going to have to take this situation into his own hands.

It's just…does Cas even know what a relationship is? He didn't know what sex was 'till Dean showed him. Hell, it was next to impossible to get Cas to understand that Dean doesn't 'go away' when he sleeps.

Therefore, Dean decided to…pull a Dean. In other words, he doesn't know how to ask with words, so he's going to test the angel, like a rat in a lab, put him in a scenario and see how he reacts. It helps that he can sense how the angel feels.

Dean takes Sam and Cas to a local burger joint, one where he knows the waitresses are hot. Their waitress, Tina, is especially hot. If Cas doesn't get jealous of her then he'll know his answer. If Tina were flirting with Cas, Dean would want to…well let's just leave it at, he wouldn't want that.

Dean's been flirting with Tina, making eyes at her and Tina knows what's up. She's interested in Dean—who isn't? "Hey, sweetness," Dean says. "How's about some bacon on that burger?"

"Coming right up," she says with a wink that Cas sees.

Only problem is Sam sees too (why did he bring Sam along?) and Sam knows what Dean's doing. He's giving Dean his best bitchface for it too. Cas is oblivious. He has no idea what's going on…but what if it's: he doesn't care what's going on?

Dean's not sure; he'd better take this up a notch.

When the sexy waitress comes back, he gives her the Dean eyes and even compliments her, tells her they should get together sometime.

Cas is unconcerned.

Dean is disappointed.

Dean doesn't want Cas to be hurt in a big way or anything, but he was hoping for some reaction and as this batch of Tom Foolery unfolds ('cause that's what it is, and a stupid idea at that) Dean comes to realize that this wasn't just for proof that he and Cas are an item, but proof that Cas gives a rat's ass about him.

Now Dean's the one dejected. This was dumb and if he didn't know it now, that look Sam's giving him says Sam's going to make sure he knows later.

Even when the waitress leaves Dean her phone number, Cas gets excited. "Did you make us a new friend Dean? That's so great! Maybe she'll play Risk with us. She's nice. She gave you all that extra bacon and didn't even charge you. But, but, she can't have the Dean Skittles, those are mine okay? You won't let her, will you Dean?"

Fuck. Dean's an idiot. The innocence in Cas's voice kills him, especially with what he tried to do. Still, Dean can't help his heart breaking just a little bit, feeling like he's lost the love of his life. Cas doesn't care one way or the other if he takes the waitress home. He fucking wanted Cas to care, just a little bit.

He stares into Cas's blue eyes and smiles with so much love for his angel ('cause he fucking loves him anyway) and Cas smiles back. Cas has no clue what Dean tried to do, thank Christ, but he will hear it from Sam and he fucking deserves every word.

"No Cas. She can't have your Skittles. They're all yours, darlin'." Dean pockets the number. Maybe he will use it. After all, he's just Cas's pet human.

They're standing, getting ready to leave, but something's in Dean's eye, so Dean rubs it. In the same moment, Tina walks by on her way to another table, but of course she's taking a last opportunity to ogle Dean. Dean looks up to smile at her. "See you soon," he says.

She looks at him funny. "Oh, look. Make a wish handsome, a stray eyelash. I'll get that for you." She reaches out to pluck the stray lash from his upper cheekbone, just under his eye.

Meanwhile, Dean's blood goes cold. Dean's a hunter. He charges head first, stupidly sometimes, into terrifying and dangerous situations, but never does his blood freeze the way it does now, like he's a fucking fish. The hairs on the back of Dean's neck prickle too and he senses the overwhelming jealousy peeling off the angel. Cas is breathing hard (something he doesn't have to do, but a habit he's picked up since living with Dean and Sam) and Dean doesn't know what the fuck to do. This is what he wanted (well not quite this, he never would have fucking offered Tina his eyelashes, Dean's not that much of a whore) but he doesn't fucking want it anymore.

Cas watches in horror as Tina carelessly flicks the eyelash to the ground.

"Okay, time to go," Sam says taking charge of the situation that is quickly dissolving into disaster. Aha! Dean knew he brought Sam for a reason.

"Dean," Cas says needing to hear something, anything from Dean to make him feel better over what just happened.

Fuck. Dean did not plan for this. Even he wasn't stupid enough to cross the eyelash line with Cas, but until now, he really thought it was just a bizarre-o angel thing. Turns out, when an angel collects your eyelashes, you're an item, a serious item. Cas hasn't said as much, but Dean can see it in his eyes. The angel always claims that he's Dean's and Dean's not his, but Dean recognizes Cas's behavior: it's all possession. How dare someone stake claim on his human like that?

Dean does get what he wanted though. He can see now—it's been there all along in all the little things Cas does. Dean's still not sure their relationship is a relationship by human definition, nor is he sure it's even one by angel definition, but it's their own definition and it has something to do with Skittles and eyelashes and darlin', something no one can name, but they both know is there.

And man, did he fuck up. Like, colossally.

"Dean," Cas says again when he doesn't get a response fast enough. "She was supposed to come over to play Risk with us, not touch your eyelashes. Those are mine. Mine. I thought I'm darlin'?" Cas looks fucking crushed. Like his heart is breaking and he doesn't know how to handle it. He's desperate for Dean's reassurance right now, genuinely confused by this whole event.

Tina looks between the two after hearing Cas's kooky-ass accusations, since even Tina can tell, he's just said the Cas equivalent of: 'What the fuck are you doing with this floozey?'

Dean knows he's going to hear it from Cas, it's going to be a fucked up mess of tears and heart pain, but Dean's…happy. Cas cares. He fucking cares and Dean's finding it hard to feel sorry. He's got more proof to file away in the Cas loves Dean file. It feels like that 'happy-end-of-a-movie' feeling where all the issues have just been resolved and the rom-com couple can dance off in the rain together.

Only, uh, first to resolve the emotional blood bath.

Sam manages to get the pair to the car and he lets Cas ride shotgun, happy to watch the show and smirk at Dean from the backseat (Dean can see the fucker in the rearview), all that's missing is his gigantor-sized popcorn. He can read Sam's thoughts too, which all comes from living with each other for so long: 'You got yourself into this mess, get yourself out.'

"Dean, why did she do that?" Cas says, still baffled. "How come she doesn't know I collect your eyelashes, that you said I could have them. I'm still darlin' aren't I? Did I do something wrong?"

Fuck. Cas is worried this is his fault and Dean hates Cas blaming himself, especially when this is one hundred and twenty percent Dean's fault. Dean takes a big breath and releases the truth. "I led her to believe she could, er, uh, have my eyelashes Cas," he says using language Cas will understand. "This is my fucking fault. I didn't mean for it to happen Cas. I'm so sorry."

Cas looks like he wants to die. His wild holy angel rage is still boiling on the burner, but it's quickly overcome with sad, broken, terrible heartbreak.

And Dean gets to feel it. It's annihilating. Dean has a hard time driving back to the bunker; he somehow manages it.

Sam takes off to his room, so do Dean and Cas; Cas has gone silent wrapped in on himself, drowning in misery.

"Look Cas, all this went up the creek. Fuck. It was supposed to be harmless flirting, you were supposed to get mildly jealous, tell me to never have sex with anyone, but you again and that would have been that. She wasn't supposed to touch my fucking eyelashes. I swear."

But Cas is focused on something else now. "Wait—do you enter other beings aside from me?" He's on the border of outrage and is now very much the furious angel Dean knows he can be.

"I, uh, well no, er, that is, not since we started kissing and shit."

"Did you want to enter that female human Dean?" Cas's jaw is clenched, his teeth looking like they can pulverize stone.

"No. No way. I swear. It was just to make you…ugh…it was fucking stupid and it's over, so can we please forget this happened? I fucking get it now."

Cas doesn't look ready to 'forget this.' "That eyelash was mine and now it's on the cold diner floor—I don't even get that eyelash Dean and you want me to just forget this? On top of that, I now receive the knowledge that you wish to enter others. This makes me have pain Dean, even though my vessel has not been damaged. How is that possible?"

"It's not like that Cas. I don't want to enter others. Will you just…can I hold you, please?" Dean's body aches to hold Cas. He's right in front of Dean, but he feels so far away and Dean's worried he'll never get to hold Cas again. Maybe he'll decide to ask to go back to Heaven. What would Dean do then?

"Can I be alone, Dean? Just for a little while, please? You said if something bothered me, I should tell you, but I don't know how to put words to this. I need to figure it out."

The angel that never wants to be parted from Dean has just asked for alone time. Dean doesn't know how to deal with his own defeated disappointment. "Yeah Cas. I'll leave you alone."

Dean gets the lecture he expected from Sam, but Dean has to point out the one good thing: that he knows, least he's ninety-five percent sure, the angel and him are in a relationship, in other words, the angel fucking cares about Dean on a level that's not slave to his master.

"Well, guess you got your wish. Hope you're happy." Sam's in no mood to give Dean that one. Much as Sam worries about Dean and poses the contrary perspective about Cas, Sam has come to care for Cas and feels the need to protect him, like he would Dean.

Dean's not happy (for Sam's information); he's freaking miserable.

Later, Cas comes out of their room. Dean's still in their 'kitchen,' head in his hands. "Dean?"

"Yeah, darlin'?"

"I, I'd like to go to bed now."

The angel doesn't sleep, Dean's excited at what he knows the angel means by that. "Of course."

Dean gets Cas ready for bed like he always does, but tonight, Dean worships him like never before. Taking his time removing Cas's clothes, kissing every inch of him right down to every toe, rubbing his arms and carding hands through Cas's dark hair, the whole while thanking whoever he needs to thank that Cas is letting him do this. Cas is silent the entire time.

Tonight, he does put pajamas on the angel, unsure if the angel wants Dean to enter him.

When Dean's spooned around him in their bed, Cas finally speaks again.

"Today was a sad day," Cas says.

"Yeah Cas. I fucking agree with you on that one. How can I make it up to you?"

Cas sighs. "You don't have to, Dean. I thought about everything long and hard. Somehow, I became shrouded in human emotions today. The truth is, I am yours, you're not mine…our bond…well, it's where we both want it to be. Today was a good reminder of that."
Dean has no idea what the fuck that means.

"I have no right to ask you not to enter others, or not to give your eyelashes away to diner waitresses, I just wish you wouldn't. I think now that I feel, perhaps like a human does, there's no way to stop it."

Dean cards a hand through Cas's hair, kissing his head. "Cas. I only enter you now. I fucking swear it. I don't want anyone, or anything else," he includes being thorough. "Just you my darlin'."

"I…that makes me happy Dean. I know I'm not supposed to ask such things, but you said to tell me when something bothers me and that bothered me. I can't explain what I was feeling, just that her touching you made me crazy."

"That's called jealousy, Cas." Dean can't help, but feel warmed by Cas's jealousy. "I'm sorry Cas. Fuck, I'm so god damned sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Nothing to forgive Dean," he says and Dean knows he means it.

"Of course there is. I don't care what you learned up in Heaven. This isn't the same as morning breath. With humans, if you're having sex, each person has the right to define parameters, of course those parameters can be rejected, but you still have the right to ask for them."

Cas is quiet for a minute. "I think it would be best if you only enter me and that only I collect your eyelashes. I wanted to singe her fingers off for that alone, but when you mentioned entering others I wanted to do a lot more than that."

Holy fuck. Dean swallows hard. "Deal. But no burning off people's fingers, or anything else, okay?"

"But how will they know? You aren't mine."

"Course I'm yours Cas."

"No. You're not," the angel says with sad certainty. "But I thank you for agreeing to this. It really is best for the others. I don't know that any amount of spankings could stop me from hurting someone who touches you in a way I didn't like."

Dean gets a chill and must always remember that as much as Cas can be a sweet, innocent, creature, he's also deadly when he's got a reason. "I will Cas. I will spank you if you hurt anyone like that and it will be a severe spanking."

"Fine," Cas says defiantly. Dean likes his defiance, likes that some of the subjugation bleeds out of Cas with the passing of time, but it makes it hard in times like this and he wishes he could go back to having Cas obey his every command. He doesn't want anyone getting hurt, on account of the acts of stupidity he's likely to commit.

"I'll tell them darlin', okay? I'll make sure everyone knows I'm just for you. We are…humans call it dating exclusively, that's what we're doing, okay?"

"Dating exclusively?" Cas asks confused.

"It means, I only enter you and you only let me enter you. You're the only one who gets to collect my eyelashes and you're the only one who I call 'darling.'"

"Darlin', not darling," Cas corrects.

"That's right," Dean chuckles. "Does that make sense?"

"I get to keep the Dean Skittles too, right?"

"Yeah."

"I get a lot more stuff than you do in this agreement. Don't you want anything?" Cas asks.

"Got everything I need right here in my arms."

Cas snuggles back into him and Dean feels his pain melt away to nothing, replaced with the contented bliss Cas usually feels when he's next to Dean like this. Huh. Dean sorely wishes he did this in the first place. Talk. It seems there is language the angel can understand in terms of relationships and humans. Dean just has to stop acting like a bull in a china shop and fucking think for half a minute.

"Th-thank you Dean," Cas breathes a shuddery breath.

"Anything for you Cas."

"I'm green and pink," Cas says when they get there. Dean's glad this instance hasn't seemed to take Cas backward, that he's still vocal enough about what he wants. Dean's worked hard to get here with Cas.

"You're always green and pink, Cas."

"I just wanted to make sure nothing's changed," Cas says looking down at his feet. Okay, so maybe they aren't escaping this without some repercussions.

"C'mon, Cas. Eyes up here. Something has changed," Dean says pressing a kiss to Cas's lips, but I promise it's good."

"If you say so Dean," the angel says ever ready to agree with Dean.

"Let's play."

Cas is not as forgiving of Dean's 'cheating at Risk' as he used to be, but only because Cas has discovered the joys of flirting. Dean sees the smile in Cas's eyes as he shouts, "you did! You did take them, Dean!"

"You're seein' stuff Cas. I didn't take nothing."

"Then what are you chewing?"

"My tongue."

"Let me see."

"No."

"Yes." Cas attacks him, sliding across the map table, skittles skittering everywhere and Cas thrusts his tongue into Dean's mouth, Dean lets him even if he knows it will give him away. He's sure Cas can taste the too sweet sugar, coating Dean's mouth and he doesn't care, he wants to kiss Cas into oblivion.

"Is it later Dean?" Cas says, not caring about the stolen skittles.

"Yes, Cas. It's later." Dean stands up and the angel wraps his legs around Dean, resuming their kissing session. Dean grips Cas's freshly healed ass cheeks and breathes into their kiss. But Dean does something today he's never done before. Until now, there's always been a thread of restraint, Dean holding back his true feelings about Cas because, well, so many reasons.

Afraid for him, afraid for Cas. Worried he was hopelessly losing himself to something that could never love him back, worried he was just molesting Cas, taking advantage of Cas, worried about, everything really.

But not today and not anymore. Fuck it. He loves Cas, he knows that and even if he didn't think Cas could ever love him back (which he doesn't think anymore), he wants to give Cas his full love, all of it, blast him with it like a race car whipping wind at you on a speedway.

And he's open to whatever Cas gives him, can give him. To Dean, it's love. The worship, the devotion…If that's not love, then neither is anything else.

Dean's gotta be in Cas, gotta fill him with his version of life force. He wants to be as close to Cas's grace as he can be. He scrambles to get Cas's jacket off and is already working at loosening Cas's tie while Cas continues to wildly suck his face.

"Cas," Dean says trying to get Cas to let him pull his mouth away, so Dean can get the tie over his head, but he can't, Cas won't part his lips from Dean, exerting the strength that's always been there, that Dean knows is there, but doesn't ever use against Dean. Cas usually let's Dean do what he wants with him, let's Dean maneuver him like a rag doll. Dean gives up, and starts on Cas's pants.

When he's got them undone (with much difficulty) he lifts Cas and Cas lets Dean slam him on his back, on the map table. Dean's frenzy to get his cock inside of Cas, grows. Cas is already lost to some otherworldly trance and Dean's tangled in the same web. He and Cas kiss forever, Cas with undone pants, and Dean trying to get his own undone. Can't. Fuck. He needs to be in him. God damned clothes!

Dean puts a hand to either side of Cas's head, giving up on their pants for the time being and just kissing Cas, his hands crunch down on skittles and more plink to the floor. Dean climbs up the table (mouths still attached) and starts humping Cas's still clothed cock. The friction is nice, it's real fucking nice, but it's not good enough. Now that Dean's kneeled his way onto the table with Cas, he can get at his own jeans easier. Cas has his legs wrapped like a fucking vice around his torso, but they clear his jeans.

Dean's able to easily (frantically) pops the button to his jeans and begins the too slow process of trying to wriggle them down over his ass. When he gets them and his underwear midway down his thighs, he thinks, eh, good enough and tries for Cas's again.

Thankfully, Cas is getting more desperate too, even through whatever dusty haze he's swimming in right now and he assists Dean by placing his feet on the table and lifting his hips, allowing Dean to yank them down to Cas's ankles. "Lube, Cas," Dean says into Cas's mouth and Cas holds his hand out to his discarded jacket, the lube flies to Cas's hand like a magnet to a fridge.

Dean slicks Cas up, sloppily and only has to prep him a little. They fuck a lot, the angel's channel seems to respond and open to his dick quickly, now. It's difficult with his jeans trapping his legs, but Dean's able to work his cock into Cas, slamming it home, then it's, ah…the relief. Slow and hard, hard and fast, slow and soft, fast, slow, hard, soft, in, out, crash, slap, and oh yeah.

Dean doesn't remember feeling this desperate for Cas. Finally, Cas releases his mouth, pushing on Dean's chest, looking, looking, looking for something.

"Cas?"

Cas is about to latch onto his mouth again, but Dean takes over this fucking pony ride, something's coursing through him and it makes him strong, strong enough to turn the angel over despite the angel climbing toward his mouth again. It's a rush of power that Dean bathes in then harnesses. Everything about their sex is wild (even Cas), and now Dean is too.

He flips Cas on his front, letting his cock slip from Cas's ass and having to listen to Cas's whines as he tries to chase Dean. "Stay, Cas. Don't worry, darlin'. I'm going to keep fucking you, so hard—you'll feel me longer than an hour, promise."

Keeping one hand on Cas at all times, Dean hops off the table momentarily and shucks off his jeans and boxer briefs. Now his legs are unencumbered and he can put more power into his thrusts.

Cas obeys him, suddenly brought to heel from whatever power is possessing him, even if it's still clinging to him.

Dean's back on the table. Cas moans relief as Dean's sliding back into him, Cas's ass practically devouring his cock. "Yeah, that's it Cas. Fu-uck." There's a lot of moaning and noises Dean's sure no one's ever heard in their lives. Dean beats on Cas's ass with his cock and Cas is enjoying every minute of it.

He grabs Cas by the neck and pushes his head down, idly noticing Cas's face, pressed up against Russia, green skittles, his blue, blue eyes lolling back into his vessel's head, in absolute bliss. "Dean, Dean, Dean…" Cas chanting over and over…

Cas comes, all over the table and the Skittles and probably the Indian Ocean. Dean releases into Cas, always into Cas, but it's like never before, it's like all his love and devotion for the angel is reaching into Cas, spilling over, hot and possessive. Dean's always tried to avoid feelings like that, being possessive with his angel, but there's no denying that's how he feels and there's no stopping Cas from wanting to be his anyway. Dean's tired of trying to shove those feelings aside, so very tired…so fuck it. Cas is his and damn anyone who tries to say different.

Dean collapses, pulling Cas to him, sucking on his neck, marking him—the first of many marks—and relishes in touching Cas, free of guilt, free of worry over judgment and just free. There's a new tattoo on him—he can feel the warmth spreading over the back of his neck—but there's one on Cas now too, this one's not in Enochian. Dean it says.

Shit. "Fuck, Cas. Cas? There's a…"

"It's there? Oh it's there, it's finally there. Thank you Dean. My Dean." The angel's never said 'my Dean' before. It's always 'my human' or some variation of, but in a tone that never indicated ownership. Cas's tone now is all purchase. A little pit of fear begins to grow in Dean's stomach. He hasn't missed the angel's thank yous.

"Cas…what does my new tattoo say?"

Cas is quiet, then, "i-i-t says, Castiel. Dean, I'm sorry." He's not that fucking sorry.

Dean is baffled. "I thought you said these tattoos didn't mark me? That sounds like a fucking mark to me."

"Oh…well these ones are. I am yours, I've always been yours, I enjoy being yours…but you are mine now too."

The possessive little…huh, well, Dean supposes that's okay since he feels the same and it's too late now anyway, so what's the sense in worrying over it? Dean is the angel's, he knows he belongs to Cas and now everyone will know, just like Cas not-so-secretly desires.

"I can feel you all the way inside me now Dean. Right in here," Cas says hugging himself with both arms, contented. "I was hoping and hoping this would happen. The holy Father has blessed me with the best gift of all."

"I'm glad darlin', but Cas, why Castiel? Is that what you'd rather be called?" Dean knows now that the tattoos are somehow connected to Cas, just like the others. Their relationship and feelings for the other influence what gets written on Dean's skin and now Cas's. There's still so much to discover about the strange tattoos, he's barely touched the surface.

"Oh no Dean. Castiel is just longer, bigger. You know? So they're warned."

"Warned?"

"If anymore women or men sleep with you, I'm afraid I will have to kill them. Sorry Dean. You are mine now and I am yours." Cas snuggles further into Dean, like he didn't just threaten to murder anyone.

"Is that what just happened, Cas? Did I just give myself to you?"

"Yes. And you received some of my grace, because you let me all the way inside you. You are strong enough to be my mate now. I don't have to hold back when you enter me anymore," he says with a gleam in his blue eyes.

That sounds like a perk. "Am I an angel now Cas?"

"Not quite. Somewhere in between."

Well, holy shit. More power's cool. He's always been a kick ass hunter, now he'll be that much better. "You're not serious about the whole killing people thing, are you?"

"I am. You are mine," he repeats. Like that's an understanding in and of itself.

Well fuck me, Dean thinks. He spent all this time worrying about nothing. Cas is a possessive little lion, with claws. Though, to be honest, he doesn't like the feelings and thoughts he gets when he thinks about someone else touching Cas. Killing sounds nice in comparison.

"Yeah darlin', I'm all yours now, okay? Just yours."

"I know Dean. That's what the tattoo says."

"Why you little—"

Cas cuts him off with another kiss, but this one's regular, like their always kisses, not like the fucking supernatural ritual style kisses they were sharing moments ago. "Dean. My Dean, will you sing me my song? I'd really like to hear that now."

"Yeah. Okay, Cas. You are my darlin', my only darlin', you make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my darlin' away." Dean sings several rounds of that feeling the new depths of Cas he can now reach and he explores every inch of Cas's energy. He feels Cas doing the same to him. How lucky are they? They can know how the other feels, without having to guess, without having to prove it…like everyone else.

"Dean?"

"Yeah Cas?"

"I think I know what I love you is now. It's…it's this right now."

"It's right now and it's always, Castiel."

"Good. I am quite enjoying love. Is it like this for everyone?"

"I don't know, Cas. Should we go ask'em?"

"Maybe later."

Dean snuggles as close as he can into Cas, his cock filling again (already) for round two.

"I was right," Cas says after a time.

"About?"

"You did steal my Skittles."

"Yeah, I'm caught—but I'm not sorry, they were delicious." Dean slides into Cas's ass again, flipping him like a pancake, his cock sliding along the inside of Cas's still very open hole as he spins.

He can see Cas's smiling face. He slides Cas's pants and underwear off the rest of the way, so Cas can wrap bare legs around his Dean's torso as Dean pumps into him again. "I let you take them you know."

"I know. And I know that's I love you, Cas, you letting me take your Dean Skittles."

"Like, like eyelashes?" Cas says, eyes wide, excited to be realizing love how a human might realize love.

"Yeah. Like eyelashes Cas and…and like darlin'," Dean says pumping in and out, slow and lazy.

"Then you must have known everyday, I'm so glad you knew. My Dean, so smart and so wonderful."

Dean thinks about how he'd articulate his doubts and his fears to the angel, but comes up with nothing and it's no longer important anyway. Besides, Dean probably did know on an unconscious level. "Yeah, Cas. Everyday."

"Good. I'm going to re-double my efforts, I missed an eyelash last week—that will never do—I want you to know how much I love you, always. I'm never going to miss another one again."

Dean chuckles. "Okay, darlin'."

There are six rounds of sex on the poor map table, but everything's cleaned up by the time Sam gets back. Right away he knows something's different between Cas and Dean; he spots the new tattoos.

Sam smiles. "Finally."

"You knew?" Dean asks.

"Sorta. I had enough reason to believe anyway; figured it out a while back. Sorry I couldn't tell you, it would have ruined the magic, you had to go into the ritual firm in your own beliefs on the matter, the realizations, you had to come to them on your own."

Dean throws a book at him, which he catches laughing. "Still, I'm sure you could have tipped me off somehow," Dean grumbles.

"How was the hunt, Sam?" Cas asks.

"Good, but if you two are finished your honeymoon, I could use some help. Got a new hunt."

"Already?"

"Yeah. Double feature. I got the ghost that was haunting the old Robinson manor, but turns out it's a family curse. We have a few Robinson homes to visit. Long story, I'll explain in the car."

"Yeah, okay. Just let me grab some extra stuff. We'll meet you at the Impala."

They're all ready to go when Cas gets excited in the special way he does when he's found another eyelash to collect. He grabs it and races to add it to his book. "This will be my post-Dean tattoo section," he says happily.

Finally, Dean knows what that means.

When Cas is done, Dean pulls him in for a kiss. "I love you too, Cas."