This was a terrible idea. They manage to help Cas to the car as the angel giggles uncontrollably. Sam shoots him a look that screams "What the fuck were you thinking" and the glare Dean sends back says "Shut the hell up". Cas needed to loosen up and Dean just thought that introducing the gift of alcohol couldn't hurt. In the end, that's what it did.

Or rather, that's what it would do. Dean can only imagine with a grimace what Cas's hangover would be like tomorrow. Maybe he could angel mojo it away?

"How much did he drink?" Sam pushes the angel into the passenger seat and climbs in the back seat, a hand on Castiel's shoulder to keep him upright.

Dean makes sure to avoid meeting Sam's eyes in the rearview mirror. "A few beers, a couple shots, a few mixed drinks and some chasers." Then he can't avoid it and Sam's eyes are wide with accusation and shock. "What?! He wanted to try some!"

"If a six year old asks for a beer, are you going to give him one?!" Sam waits for a moment and when Dean doesn't answer, he gasps. "Dean!"

Cas giggles and pokes Dean in the arm. "You're in trouble!" Dean scowls and starts the impala, ignoring both statements.

As he drives, he can feel Sam's glare burning a hole in his skull(and with Sam's powers, he actually could so Dean checks when they get back to the motel). Sam gets a call from Ruby on his cell halfway into the room and he starts to leave.

"Sammy, what the hell?! You can't leave me here with him!" Dean shouts after him, but his brother only waves and runs away as fast as he can.

'It could be worse.' Dean thinks as he half carries the angel to the bed. Cas could be an angry drunk and send Dean back to Hell, which he still might do if the hangover is bad tomorrow.

Cas has also turned clingy, wrapping his hands in the front of Dean's shirt and refusing to let go. He's quieted down a little, maybe tired from all of the excitement.

"I feel ill." Cas looks up at him, his eyes slightly glazed over.

"Great." Dean pries the hands away from his shirt and moves the trashcan beside the bed. "Just lie down, okay?"

Cas obeys, obviously miserable, and when Dean begins to stand, a hand closes over his. "Don't go."

"I'll come right back." Dean pulls away, ignoring the whimper of protest, and he returns as promised with a glass of water. "Trust me. The more water you drink now, the better you'll feel tomorrow."

Cas resumes clinging and the hunter rolls his eyes, adjusting their positions so Dean is leaning back against the headboard and the angel is pulled to his chest.

"You tell anyone about this, I'll kill you." Dean keeps his eyes on the door; if Sam walks in on this, he'll never let it go.

"You won't kill me, Dean." Cas is smiling when he looks up at him, his chin resting on Dean's chest. "I saved you."

Cas just looks strange when he smiles, probably because he never smiles ever. Dean shrugs off the wierd feeling in his stomach and grabs the remote.

"Dean?" He looks down and sees that Cas's eyes are beginning to droop.

"Yeah?" He tries not to speak too loudly; the sooner Cas falls asleep, the happier Dean will be.

"Thank you for taking care of me." He's mumbling now into Dean's shirt, nuzzling into his side.

He clears his throat and keeps his eyes on the screen. "You're welcome."

"It's just-" Cas laughs a little, sounding depressed. "No one's taken care of me before."

Dean glances at the clock. Midnight. He hopes no seals need protecting and then he stops. Cas takes care of everyone else, always falling orders(and then breaking orders when Dean asks) and Dean feels guilty.

And then he thinks that all he's ever done is take care of people. He took care of Sam and the victims and now he has no one to take care of.

He's rubbing circles in Cas's hair and he swears the angel's purring. Maybe this is what he needs. Maybe they can take care of each other.

"Just go to sleep, alright?" Dean whispers in Cas's ear and he presses a kiss to the angel's temple. "I'll take care of you."

Before he knows it, he's asleep too with Cas still wrapped around him and he's too tired to notice when Sam comes home and takes pictures on his cell for blackmail.(And he's too tired to notice the soft smile on Sam's face when he erases them.)

He wakes up the next morning to the warm smell of eggs, bacon and coffee, which Sam sets on the table. Cas is moaning about the lights being too bright, but since he's not back in the pit, Dean thinks the hangover can't be too terrible.