AUTHOR'S NOTES: Written after this comment by Anime-Romancer777 on one of my more recent fics - "I wonder if Castiel knows what cooties are?! XD I can so imagine Sammy or Dean messing with Cas, saying Dean is cursed or caught a disease and the only way to cure it ..."

Sam was alone in the motel room, sprawled across his bed, long limbs laying askew as he scrolled through various pages of Christmas presents on the Internet. He stopped at a likely present for Dean, before looking up at the sound of wings ripping through the air, announcing the arrival of Castiel. Sure enough, there stood the angel by the window, body framed by the meager light thrown in from outside, shadowy wings slowly folding away into Castiel's vessel. Castiel himself looked tired, worn, yet surprised, as though he didn't quite expect himself to even be in the motel room.

"Hey, Cas," Sam greeted him, voice distracted, as he returned to his most current browser window open on his laptop.

"Hello, Sam. Is Dean not here?" Castiel asked, casting his intense stare around the room, eyes finally settling on the closed door to the bathroom as though expecting the elder Winchester to pop right through just because he'd arrived.

"He's not here, Cas," Sam replied, with a shake of his head, still not taking his gaze from the glowing screen in front of him. "He'll be back soon, no doubt. He had to go out, get some stuff."

"What stuff? From where?" Castiel asked, head tilted to the side as he regarded the young hunter curiously.

Sam sighed, face narrowing down as he wondered what to say. He didn't want Castiel to know the real reason for Dean's absence, as Dean had sworn Sam to secrecy, on pain of a horrible death and ripped off limbs, and a bonus disembowelment. The pause was long enough for Castiel to shuffle his feet, looking uncharacteristically impatient, wings stuttering into ruffled life as he waited. The angel opened his mouth, as though to speak, but Sam cut him to the chase, blurted the first thing out he could think of.

"He's got cooties, Cas," he said, before instantly cursing himself for a stupid, juvenile response.

Castiel remained oblivious to Sam's muffled cry of frustration at his own inability to think of something better, instead focussing on something he didn't understand.

"What is cooties?" he asked, voicing the word as though it was something bad, something that he shouldn't even be saying aloud in polite company.

"You know what cooties are, Cas," Sam replied, deciding to hell with it and keep up the pretence.

After all, as his brother would say - you dug your own grave, Sammy, now you gotta lay in it.

"No, Sam, I don't," Castiel replied, coming over to sit on Dean's bed carefully, blue eyes bright, interested, looking at Sam as though Dean's brother was the giver of Dean's deepest, darkest secrets.

Despite himself, and despite his inner curse for having gotten himself into this ridiculous situation, Sam had to smile. Even though he didn't swing the way Dean obviously did these days, he could see why Dean had fallen for the angel, and fallen hard. Castiel, in that one instant, appeared so beautiful, so innocent yet infinitely wise, leaving Sam wondering if this was what Dean saw every time that he looked at Castiel.

He sighed, decided not to get distracted by the angel before him, leaving that pleasure to Dean instead, before he said - "Cooties, Cas. Dean has ... a disease. Kinda infectious actually. It can be transferred just by a touch. He's gone out to get medication, but what he doesn't know is the only way to cure him is to - "

Sam's voice trailed off, brow furrowed in sudden confusion, as though wondering how to continue with his own sentence. Castiel remained quiet, back rigid, hands resting lightly on his knees, as he regarded Sam patiently, blue eyes boring into Sam's as he waited.

"Yes, Sam?" Castiel asked, expression serious, attentive, as though the angel really wanted to know how to help Dean.

"You really wanna help Dean, don't you, Cas?" Sam enquired, fighting against the urge to smile at the angel, who was being particularly gullible right at that instant.

"Of course," Castiel replied, with a gentle snort of derision through his nose. "Why wouldn't I? I love him."

Sam's face puckered slightly at that, suddenly feeling guilty for taking Castiel for a ride. His love was genuine, and obvious, as was Dean's. The young hunter could see that it was far too late to back out now, however. He gestured Castiel forward, and the angel leant conspiratorially towards him, blue eyes furtive, desperate, tender towards Dean and wanting to help him with his problem. The younger Winchester outlined his plan as to how the angel could help Dean with his fabricated disease.

A half hour later and Dean had returned, door banging shut behind his questing booted foot, the scent of cinnamon and apple and freshly baked goods wafting around him from one of the various packages he held grasped in overloaded arms. He was surprised through seeing Castiel already in the motel room, hovering nearby, face holding a sincere, concerned expression as the angel came forward to relieve Dean of his packages.

"Oh, hey, Cas, thanks," Dean said, in surprise, only too glad to be rid of the cumbersome packages and bags. "Don't look in any of those bags, though, Cas, I warn you. Your present - "

The last of his words were swallowed by the kiss that Castiel pressed against his mouth, desperate lips working hungrily against his own as the angel leant closer against him, almost crushing the packages he now held in his arms. Dean was left breathless when the kiss ended, eyes wide, stunned, staring at the angel with obvious surprise and adoration.

"What was that for?" he asked, surprise apparent in the tone of his voice.

"No reason. I merely wanted to kiss you, Dean," Castiel replied, head tilted to the side, as his gaze locked in an intense stare with Dean's.

Sam chuckled from across the room, standing from where he'd still been sprawled across his bed, stretching and yawning hugely, hands almost touching the ceiling from where his long limbs stretched so much.

"Well, guys, I'm going out for a bit. Get myself some fresh air," he said, grin broad, mischievous as he tipped a wink in Castiel's direction.

Castiel nodded, before he said - "I think that's a good idea, Sam."

Sam laughed at that, shaking his head over the angel's words, before he disappeared, door closing softly behind him after a blast of cold winter air announced his departure.

"What the hell? What was all that about? What are you two planning?" Dean asked, suspiciously, staring at Castiel with a small frown of confused suspicion decorating his brow.

Castiel looked innocently back at him, eyes wide, cheeks and brow smooth, lips pushed out in a perfect pout at the hunter. Dean smiled, not fooled for an instant. He knew when Castiel was being truly innocent, and when he was not; this was one of the times when he was trying to hide something from him.

"Dude, you're such a bad liar," he said, chuckling as he flopped down on his bed in a tangle of limbs, shrugging free from his jacket as he did so.

"I haven't even said anything yet, Dean," Castiel replied, pout deepening, lips pushing out still further, looking all too much like the proverbial kicked puppy to Dean right then.

"Come here, Cas," Dean relented, holding his arms out towards Castiel, fingers splayed out and beckoning for a hug.

Castiel came willingly, after first depositing the tempting packages on the nearby table, smell of fresh spices and warm fruit beckoning, maddening in the warm air of the motel room. He settled down beside Dean on the bed, arm instinctively wrapping around the hunter's waist as Dean dropped a kiss on top of the angel's dark haired head. Dean continued resting against Castiel, inhaling the scents of everything that made up Castiel, hand rubbing gently over the angel's arm beneath his ever present trenchcoat.

"I love you, Dean," Castiel suddenly announced, voice grave, almost sad in its intensity, making the hunter wonder once more as to what was going on.

He frowned against Castiel's hair, before pulling away and tilting the angel's chin up with one hand, looking deep within Castiel's innocent blue depths.

"What's got into you, today, Cas?" Dean asked, quirking his mouth into a confused frown as he shrugged at the angel.

"I don't want you to die," Castiel replied, looking so sad, so lost, so woebegone at that one moment in time, Dean's heart swelled with love for the angel in his arms.

"Who says I'm gonna die, Cas? I'm not dying," Dean replied, confusion settling ever deeper within his chest. "I'm not, am I? Dude, you're the angel. God hasn't told ya my sell by date, has he?"

He looked around, as though searching for something unseen, unfound in the motel room, before he glanced back at Castiel. The angel's gaze had never left his face, a sad expression still instilled in his eyes, ripe lips pulled out in a frown.

"Where's that reaper, Cas? I'll rip his lungs out," Dean said, trying to make light of a confusing situation, retrieving a smile at last from the angel's face.

Dean chuckled, pressed a kiss to Castiel's forehead, squeezing the angel's shoulders gently in a loving embrace.

"That's more like it, Cas. Seriously, dude, I don't know what's got into you today," the hunter groused as Castiel continued to stare at him, his lips, as though begging for a kiss.

Castiel didn't know what to say, how to explain the situation, so just sat there looking like an embarrassed and naughty child, shrugging uselessly, hands shoved deep within the confines of his coat pockets. Dean smiled, heart racing the same way it always did whenever he was near Castiel, before he leant in, staring at Castiel's mouth, claimed his lips in a gentle kiss. The angel responded, eyelids fluttering closed, lashes tickling across Dean's freckled cheeks as he opened beneath Dean's probing tongue, letting the hunter slip his tongue inside Castiel's mouth. He pushed Dean back upon the bed, felt initial resistance from the hunter before that resistance gave and Dean sank back against the pillows with a sigh against Castiel's lips.

The angel straddled Dean's chest, thighs pressing Dean down upon the mattress, much to the hunter's amusement and obvious arousal. He chuckled, green eyes large and staring up at Castiel, as the angel unzipped his dark pants, pushed them away from slim hips quickly. Dean's fingers brushed against his lover's bare skin tenderly, gaze trickling over every inch of Castiel's body, lingering on Castiel's boxer shorts, at the wet stain spreading across the cotton. He licked his lips, watched with bated breath as Castiel stood, weight leaving his chest briefly as the angel struggled from his restrictive pants and boxers as fast as he could drag them free from his legs.

Dean waited until Castiel had straddled him once more, before the angel arched forward, pressing his dick against Dean's mouth insistently. The angel trailed pre-cum over Dean's lips, fingers digging into the hunter's shoulders as he bore down on him, pushing against the hunter's mouth until Dean opened up for him, swallowing back Castiel's dick with an aroused murmur.

Castiel's large blue eyes closed, full lips parted at the feel of Dean's wet mouth surrounding his erection and he started fucking into the hunter's mouth eagerly, sensations coursing through him, overriding everything else until there was nothing left but sheer pleasure. He looked down, saw Dean's brow furrowed in concentration as his head bobbed between Castiel's legs, sucking him off with moans of pleasure working against the angel's erection. Castiel felt his orgasm pool in his abdomen, tingle through his thighs, tighten his balls until he came, flooded Dean's mouth with spurts of his thick release and a cry of Dean's name. He eased his softening member from between Dean's glistening lips, staring at him expectantly, meeting a puzzled gaze instead.

"What?" Dean asked, blinking up at the expectant angel curiously.

"Do you feel better?" Castiel asked, hopefully.

"Uh, I guess. Do you?" Dean asked, scratching his head with obvious confusion.

"I feel good. Are you sure you feel better?" Castiel asked again.

"What the hell is it with you today, Cas?" Dean asked, pitching the angel from his chest and trapping him against the mattress with his own body weight. "Don't get me wrong, I love the attention, but I don't get it. What's the deal, huh?"

"Sam said you had cooties," Castiel finally admitted, a little shame faced, even though he didn't understand why. "He said medication didn't work but oral sex did."

"Sam said I had what?" Dean asked, blinking down at Castiel in disbelief.

"Cooties," Castiel replied, tilting his head to the side as he stared up at Dean, a slight smile touching the corners of his mouth.

"Cas, do me a favor, dude. Next time Sam tells you something, don't believe him," Dean said, choking back a laugh at the angel trapped beneath him. "I don't have cooties, I never did. That's like saying the moon is made of cheese - there's no such thing. That's scare tactics for kids."

"Ah," Castiel said, eyes starting to twinkle in amusement, a stifled chuckle rumbling in his chest. "It was a joke."

"Yeah, you bet, and a dumb ass one at that," Dean groused, lips narrowing in thoughtfulness.

"I shall have to not listen to Sam in the future," Castiel mused, eyes narrowing, lips pursing into a thoughtful pout.

"That would be wise, considering you're gonna be around a lot more now," Dean said, before shooting him a hopeful look. "You are, aren't you? Gonna be around a lot more?"

Castiel looked at him, eyes skimming over Dean's face as though searching for answers, watched as Dean visibly held his breath as though fearful of rejection.

"Yes, Dean. I think I have one very good reason to stick around. That's if you want me to," he said, gently, turning hopeful, almost pleading eyes onto the hunter.

Dean chuckled, leant in to steal a kiss, before he said - "Course I do, Cas. I - I love you, you know."

He looked awkward, flushing slightly at admitting his love for the angel, so unused to saying that to anyone. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, glad at last to have someone to love and to say the words to, before he smiled into Castiel's pleased expression, pride held deep within the angel's depthless blue gaze. They both remained silent, knowing that words would ruin the moment, silence holding court and making the time seem more precious, theirs, perfect.

Dean sighed, turned away eventually, before he glanced out at the cold afternoon air outside the window.

"Hey, Cas, when d'you think Sammy will be back. Did he say?" he asked, voice distracted, still a little embarrassed over his earlier admission of love for the angel.

Castiel straightened, sat beside him so close, their knees touched.

"No, he didn't say. Why?" Castiel asked, turning his gaze from the window to Dean's smirking face.

The hunter didn't say anything, just lifted his eyebrows at Castiel and nudged him gently with knee and elbow meaningfully. Castiel smirked slightly, before he nodded slowly at Dean, face brightening when Dean leant in for a kiss, hand cupping the angel's face tenderly. Castiel pulled away when Dean suddenly laughed against the angel's lips.

"What?" he asked, tilting his head towards Dean, watching him smile and laugh beside him.

He smiled despite himself, gaze locked on the hunter's face as Dean's eyes sparkled in the light, grin brightening his features until they flushed.

"I've got an idea for getting my brother back for feeding you bull-crap earlier," he murmured, with a wink at the angel beside him..

Castiel watched as Dean stood, stole over to his bag and rooted around in its hidden depths stealthily. He continued to watch, smile growing on his serene face as Dean set up the prank for when Sam returned. He was standing when Dean padded back across the room, pulling his t shirt over his head with a grin.

Dean manoeuvred Castiel easily onto Sam's bed, stripping him of the rest of his clothes easily, before settling down on the neatly tucked and folded bed. Castiel sat beside him, swung his legs up onto the blanket, before he settled in against Dean's body, hands stroking over the handprint scar still showing out vividly against the hunter's shoulder. Dean murmured in approval at being touched by the being that had marked him, eyes fluttering closed as Castiel leant down to kiss against the scarred palm shape gently.

Dean cupped Castiel's ass with both hands, lifted him from the bed so that the angel straddled him once more, before he settled down upon the mattress beneath them. Castiel helped him from his jeans, pushed them down and out of the way, bunching up against Dean's ankles, effectively hobbling him. Castiel left Dean momentarily, rifled through Dean's bag in the search for lube, searched his jacket pocket at Dean's suggestion when the bag search turned up nothing, before he headed into the bathroom and fished the lube from an abandoned pair of the hunter's jeans left haphazardly on the floor in there.

The angel returned already smoothing the lube over his fingertips, tongue sweeping over his bottom lip to moisten the dry surface of his mouth. He straddled Dean once more, dick already half hard and curling towards his abdomen, before he swept the shining, cool liquid over Dean's erection in sure, steady strokes.

Dean murmured huskily, voicing encouragements as he felt Castiel's slender fingers stroke against super heated flesh, felt so good against his skin. The hunter knew that soon he would be inside Castiel himself, and knew that that would feel so much better than his hand did. He took the lube from Castiel's free hand, spreading some of the shining fluid over his own hand, before pressing sticky fingers against the angel's tight, puckered hole, making his lover whimper and plead for him, begging Dean to do something, do lots of things.

Dean's eyes closed halfway, lashes fluttering as he breached Castiel, widening, loosening his lover's hole in preparation for his own entrance into his ass. Castiel's purling mewls of need were beautiful, needy, perfect, sounding against the air between them and turning Dean on still further. An aroused flush brightened the angel's cheeks and neck, made him seem more alive, perfect, fuckable above him.

Dean swallowed, tongue lapping at his own dry lips as he positioned his lover over his erection, fingers digging and twisting supportively into Castiel's thighs as the angel pushed down impatiently, wanting Dean inside him as soon as possible. Dean stuttered out a pleased laugh, Castiel's muscles retracting against his dick as the angel cried out against the pain, the burn, the shift of tension coursing through his body. Dean waited, stroking Castiel's cheek until he'd calmed, settled out around him and sank lower onto Dean's cock, taking him still further into his ass until he was fully sheathed inside his lover.

Castiel started rocking his hips against Dean's languidly, hands resting in support against Dean's well muscled chest, as the hunter fucked into Castiel in long, rolling thrusts, breathy gasps and moans breaking against the air interspersed with moans of Castiel's name sounding ragged and needy in Dean's throat. Castiel purred in arousal, lips pushing out in a pouting smile, head lolling back as he rode Dean harder, faster, taking Dean in as far as he could, the hunter's cock brushing against his prostate in heady sweeps.

Dean's eyes closed down tight, mouth gaping as he felt his orgasm drawing near, tried to fight it off for as long as he could, finally gave in when the tension became unbearable. He filled his lover up with thick strands of his release, Castiel's name ripping from his throat in ecstasy, as his hips stuttered against the angel's.

Castiel rode out the last of Dean's orgasm, touching himself as he watched Dean come, wrist snapping over his erection until his spunk splashed over Dean's abdomen, filled his hand in thick strands, Dean's name moaned against the air between them. Slowly, Castiel eased away from Dean's softening member, laying down gently beside his lover, settling against his side, arms draped around Dean's waist. Dean held Castiel, possessively, never wanted him to leave his side, content to touch him, to kiss him, to know that he was there, providing comfort, love, everything Dean wanted in a lover.

He sighed against Castiel's full mouth, breath ghosting across the silken surfaces gently, smiled when the angel's tongue lapped out and licked across his mouth in kittenish attentions. Dean's eyes closed, and he smiled, felt Castiel kiss him between laps, mouth feeling so good against his own. If he could, he'd stay there forever, fucking and being fucked by his lover languidly like there was no tomorrow. He sighed, knew that given time, Sam would be back, and Dean didn't want to be caught buried deep within Castiel, or with Castiel's dick sheathed tight inside his ass.

He moved reluctantly, encouraged Castiel to get dressed, and both were the picture of perfection when Sam returned, Castiel nestled happily into Dean's side, looking for all the world like the world's largest stroked cat, as Dean pressed kisses into the angel's hairline. Sam smiled, his eyes sad for the briefest of moments, before he stole a piece of apple pie from the bag still resting on the table where Castiel had dumped it earlier. He chewed, before his face blanched free of all color, eyes as wide as saucers and twice as blank and washed out. He gagged, spat the offending mouthful into his hand before he threw it out into the street, splatting against the icy sidewalk satisfactorily.

"What the hell's wrong with that apple pie, dude? Tastes like curry powder," he gagged, still spitting dryly into the street.

He heard Dean's laughter behind him and the more distinctive gruff chuckles of Castiel rising to join in, before he turned back, slamming the door behind him as he strode into the room, heading for the bathroom. He pointed in Dean's vague direction as he passed, face red, expression disgusted, as he shook his head at his brother.

"I know that was you, Dean. I'm getting you back for that," he groused, before closing the bathroom door firmly behind him.

From inside the tiled room, Dean and Castiel heard the sounds of furious brushing of teeth, interspersed with disgusted retching from the younger Winchester.

"C'mon, Sammy, it wasn't that bad," Dean called out to his brother, still settled deep within Castiel's embrace, unwilling to move an inch even for his brother.

An indistinct mumble of irritation echoed from the bathroom, but neither Dean nor Castiel understood what Sam had said.

"Wait til he sees the state of his bed," Castiel observed, raising his eyebrows at the hunter, an amused smile crinkling the corners of his eyes and making them shimmer.

"Oh crap. Let's be somewhere else and pretty quickly," Dean said, finally moving stealthily from the bed, throwing glances at the still closed bathroom door.

He pulled his leather jacket on swiftly, watched as Castiel shrugged his trenchcoat around his slim body, before they both slipped from the room, door closing quietly behind them. They shared a conspiratorial chuckle, leaning together like naughty schoolboys, ghosting along the sidewalk away from the motel room, and the wrath of Sam.

"You realize we'll never hear the end of this, don't you Cas?" Dean murmured when they were at a safe enough distance away from the motel room.

"Yeah. Good thing I'm sticking around to help you out, isn't it?" Castiel replied, as he followed Dean into a nearby diner, where it was at least warmer than the air outside.

Dean smiled, wrapped an arm around Castiel's waist in a gentle hug, before they settled down in an empty booth, to wait for Sam to eventually find them ....

-fini-