Title: Dirty Blonde, Ch. 16
Rating: R
Pairing: Dean/Castiel
Spoilers: None, really. If you're up to Season 5, you're fine.
Warnings: Language, sexual content, graphic sex
Summary: Dean, Cas, and Sam exchange Christmas presents.
A/N: This is the final chapter. It's also the longest! Thank you for sticking around to read this story. I hope you enjoyed it. :)

On to Chapter 16!

When Dean woke up the next morning, he got a face full of fur and wet nose. The man was not happy because the only tongue he ever wanted on his face was Castiel's. He cracked open an eye and glared at the puppy that had taken an interest in him. Dean was too tired to move out of the way, but he groaned, "No, not on the bed. I said not on the bed. Cas, get it out of my face."

Castiel gathered the puppy into his arms and sat with him in his lap. It was redundant to say that the puppy was adorable, but he was. The young animal had a coal-black head and a white body with large inky markings. Around the larger markings, he had tiny specks of black like someone had splattered oil on his otherwise snowy fur. The puppy's eyes were almost as dark as his head, but were lightened by a faint honey hue. After leaving Artemis' presence following the delivery of the puppy the night before, Dean had remarked that he was 'one weird lookin' dog.' The Winchester didn't know what breed he was, but it was clear that the canine was meant for greatness. He was full of energy and curiosity.

While Dean had been sleeping, the angel had stayed awake for a while to tend to the puppy's needs. The puppy had been frightened and confused because he had been taken from his brothers and sisters. Castiel sympathized with the animal and kept him close at all times. Cas deliberately broke Dean's rule of no dogs on the bed because he was worried about the puppy.

"He doesn't like to be referred to as an 'it,'" the angel grumbled back to Dean. Most of the night, the puppy had used Castiel as a pillow, but as soon as he showed an interest in Dean, he was shunned. Cas was less than pleased by Dean's behavior. It didn't come as a surprise to Dean that the puppy and Cas got along.

Dean sat up and regarded his angel holding the puppy. Cas was wearing only his underwear and a white t-shirt. If Dean slapped some wings and a halo on Cas, the scene would make for the gayest, most perfect Christmas card. Dean put a finger in the dog's face and the animal responded by sniffing his hand with his ebony nose. "What should we call you then?" Dean asked the puppy. "We should probably let Sam name you, huh?"

The dog, naturally, was intended to be for Sam. Artemis had been able to grant Dean's wish because one of her enchanted bitches of the forest of Arcadia had given birth to a litter of puppies about nine weeks ago. She had gifted a black and white puppy to Dean after commending him for his excellent taste. Her dogs were some of the most remarkable gifts within her possession. The puppy would grow to become incredibly powerful, obedient, intelligent, and loyal. Dean was planning on it. He was planning for this dog to watch over Sam when he couldn't. Dean concentrated and then said, "Michael Jackson."

"After the dead musician?" Castiel asked. "Why?"

Dean took a moment to appreciate the fact that Cas had accurately identified a pop culture icon before explaining his rationale. "Because he's black and white." Dean sniggered and went on, "We can call him MJ for short."

"I don't see the connection," Castiel frowned.

"Dude, he's totally got a song about being black and white. Or something. Hang on." Dean went off to find his laptop and then placed it on the bed. He showed Castiel the video of Michael Jackson singing 'Black or White' to the image of various people morphing into other people. Castiel was slightly disturbed by the video at the same time that he was entertained. The puppy didn't have an opinion when he was asked about the name.

"Artemis said his name was λάμπω."

"Yeah, and I didn't understand it the first time. What the hell does that mean?"

Castiel contemplated his words before answering, "It signifies something that is bright, like a flare, or a flash. Presumably, he was named for his lightening quickness."

"Hmm, I kind of like that." Dean remarked, "I thought she named him after a lamp. Lampo."

Not long after waking, Dean called Sam and told him they were going to visit for Christmas. Sam, surprised, mentioned that Christmas wasn't for another few days, but Dean insisted that he needed to visit Sam immediately. He kept the puppy a secret.

"Hey, Flash, get your ass over here. Hurry up and pee on this grass. We don't have all day!"

The puppy scurried over to Dean and obeyed. So far, Dean hadn't been disappointed in the dog. Dean even let the dog ride in the car, breaking one of his oldest rules of no dogs in the car, but only on the condition that he didn't get on the seats. Dean placed a towel at Castiel's feet and told the angel to keep the animal in that space. "If he has to pee or poop or puke and I don't have time to pull over, just hold him outside of the window."

Castiel shot Dean a look filled with repulsion and judgment.

"What?" Dean said, "I don't want any of that shit in my car."

"It shouldn't be a problem if you make a few stops on the way."

Dean directed his attention to the canine. If he was so smart, maybe he would be able to pick up on his words. "Alright, dog. Listen up. The Impala isn't your toilet. If you gotta go, you let us know and we'll stop. But do not mess up my ride. Capiche?"

"Sammy's gonna be over the moon. He loves these things," Dean commented as they drove in the direction of Sam's new home. The timing had been too perfect not to ask for a dog. The eldest Winchester was proud of himself for having come up with such an excellent plan all on his own. He was never good at giving presents, but this dog seemed like the perfect gift.

"Should I get a present for Sam too?" Castiel asked.

"Nah, this is our present to Sam," Dean grinned. "After all, we did the work together."

"Hey, Cas!" Sam beamed after he opened his door. He was wearing a uniform from one of his jobs because he had gotten home just in time to receive his guests. The youngest Winchester had been working so much that he had saved up enough money to rent an apartment. He was settled in at apartment 221 on the second floor of a building that was not extravagant by any estimation. When Sam spoke to Cas with bright, twinkling eyes, he spoke with the voice of someone that had been lonely ever since they had parted. "It's so good to see you."

"Likewise, Sam. Are you well?"

"Yeah, I'm great." Sam peered over Castiel to meet his brother's eyes. For some reason, Dean was using Cas as a shield so he was partially obscured from Sam's vision. Sam laughed, "Dean, what's up? Why are you hiding back there?"

After getting a nudge from Dean, Castiel moved out of the way to reveal Dean holding the puppy in his arms. Dean lifted the dog out to Sam and said, "Merry Christmas, Sam."

Sam had been tortured on Christmas. He had been left alone on Christmas. He had received a number of subpar gifts and had spent Christmases in a variety of mediocre to horrifying ways, but Sam had never received a present he'd wanted so badly for so long. Sam fell in love with the puppy instantly. His eyes went glossy. "You got me a puppy?"

"Yeah, we did. Hurry up and take it. I'm tired of it already," Dean complained and Sam took the animal in his arms. "I've got a few suggestions for names. Michael Jackson or Spartacus."

Dean pushed by Sam and let himself in and Castiel followed. Sam had been too busy squealing over the puppy to immediately recognize Dean's odd name choices. "What?" He called to Dean. "Michael Jackson? Oh, because he's black and white. Ha ha."

"I've been callin' him Flash too, like the Justice League Flash. Cas says Artemis called him Lampo, which is supposed to mean 'flash.'"

"He's the coolest!" Sam beamed. He hoisted the puppy up to thoroughly inspect him. "You've got a little black head, puppy. You are so cute."

While Sam introduced himself to the animal and received a tongue bath to the face, Dean took in Sam's place. Dean and Castiel both found it to be incredibly depressing. Sam didn't have a couch or a dining room table. He had an old TV, but not much else. "This is…homey," Dean commented.

"Sorry, I haven't gotten around to getting furniture," Sam bristled up with embarrassment. The truth was that he didn't believe his own luck. The entire time he'd been apart from Cas and Dean, Sam had honestly believed that some incredible threat would appear to jeopardize all of humanity and that Dean would come crawling to him, begging for help. Sam would help, not because of any pressure, but because he would feel compelled to jump to Dean's protection if things got bad enough. Sam would have to leave everything behind again, including furniture, so he never got any. Now, he was holding a puppy and Dean and Cas had come over on a social call instead of a call of impending doom. Is this real?

Sam was standing around with such a befuddled expression on his face that Dean began to worry. He brought his brother back to reality with a question. "So you like the dog, or what?"

"How could I not?" Sam asked. Part of the reason he had selected this apartment building was because they allowed dogs. "Is he really mine?"

"Yeah. I've been telling him the entire drive here that you're gonna be his master. I got him special for you," Dean remarked. "Artemis says he's gonna grow into a supernatural badass dog. Like, he'll be able to take down lions and shit. I'm pretty sure he can teleport, but I'm not sure how. Doesn't really have a manual, you know?"

"Thank you, Dean," Sam blubbered.

"Hey, no big deal," Dean waved his feelings away, but was inwardly glowing. When Sam finally set the puppy down, the animal walked around the sparse apartment as if to survey the perimeter. When he was done, he wandered back next to Sam.

"You don't mind if we stay here, do you?" Castiel asked from behind the bar.

"No, of course not," Sam answered. "I only have one bed though. Are you going to stay for the rest of the week? I have to go to work again at night. I've got two jobs right now."

"Do what you gotta do. Cas and I will find something to do," Dean grinned. "Right now, if you're free, I think we should probably start by getting you some real furniture."

"Oh, I should get some dog food too…" Sam suggested. "What does he eat? He doesn't have some kind of magical diet or anything, does he?"

Castiel and Dean eyed each other and shrugged. "I guess that's something we should have asked Artemis," Dean replied. "I'm sure he can eat anything. We gave him some Doritos last night."

"No! Seriously?"

"Only a couple! Cas also gave him most of the turkey from his sandwich. The dog's fine. Don't worry about it."

Castiel and Dean recounted their hunts with Artemis as they shopped around for second-hand furniture with Sam. Sam listened intently to stories of their other hunts and was surprised by how much he missed it and how much he missed them. By comparison, Sam's life had become boring. He was a barista by day and a bartender by night, burning the candle at both ends until classes started. His books were going to be expensive and so was the rent. The scholarship only helped pay part of the way.

"So how are classes going, huh?" Dean asked as they repositioned some chairs into Sam's apartment. Sam froze and Dean eyed him with intensity.

"About that…" Sam paused, "They haven't started yet."

"What do you mean they haven't started yet?" Dean responded bitterly. A chair squeaked on the wood of Sam's floor and Dean scrunched up his face with displeasure. "So you've been lying to me all this time? Did you even get accepted into school or was that email a lie too?"

"Yes, Dean," Sam exhaled, "I got into school. It's just that the new semester doesn't start till January."

"Then why'd you lie to me? Was that just an excuse to get rid of us faster? Do you hate being around us so much?"

"Because you thought I was in school already!" Sam returned. "Of course I don't hate being around you guys. I missed you both. A lot."

"God damn it, Sammy."

Sam looked over to Cas, hoping to get some support from the angel. Castiel was moving furniture around, listening carefully to their conversation, but unsure if he should butt in or how he should do it. He gave Sam a sympathetic look when their eyes met.

"You know I didn't want to hunt. Even if I didn't have school, I'd want to be here," Sam remarked. Sam set up an area for the puppy and placed a bowl of fresh food and water for the animal. He set down to pet the dog, happy that at least this animal wouldn't judge him or try to control him.

Castiel sent Dean a glare and the oldest Winchester threw up his hands in defeat. He couldn't see how they both didn't mind Sam's blatant lies. The subject was dropped and the three spent the rest of Sam's time off cleaning and playing with the dog. The puppy had a unique ability to make them all smile.

"Why do you think Sam didn't get any furniture after all this time?" Castiel asked as he inspected Sam's bedroom with Dean. Now that they were alone, the pair found themselves chatting about Sam. The bedroom had a bed, a ten-dollar desk to support Sam's prized laptop, a folding chair, and nothing else. Sam's travelling bag was set down in the corner of the room, full of clothing and prepared for a sudden trip.

"I dunno. Maybe he's cheap," Dean answered, "Or maybe he didn't have anyone to help him with the heavy stuff."

Castiel noticed Dean encroaching on his space and backed away until the backs of his legs were pressed into the side of Sam's bed. He knew what the look in Dean's eyes meant but didn't stop Dean when he pressed their lips together. "Dean…"

"What?" Dean asked after enjoying another mouthful of Cas.

"We're in Sam's room."

"Yeah, and Sam isn't here," Dean replied. About an hour had passed since Sam had left for his other job. Dean sunk down to his knees and nuzzled Castiel's crotch. While he worked to undo the angel's belt, Cas stumbled back onto the bed. He felt strange to be in Sam's bed and was filled with hesitation. The last time Sam had caught them in the act was still fresh in Castiel's mind and he didn't want to repeat the embarrassment. Cas especially didn't want to be caught with Dean on Sam's bed, but he was already excited by Dean's proposal. Dean, on the other hand, didn't care. He was still a little angry with Sam and he thought now was the perfect moment to get some Cas love.

"Just relax," Dean whispered before lapping the other man's erection. He took Cas into his mouth and sucked just the way the angel liked it. Castiel didn't protest because he could never refuse Dean's incredible mouth.

"But… Sam…" Castiel moaned, unable to string together the complete sentence he had in his mind. When Dean heard his brother's name moaned from his angel's mouth, he was spurred on to suck Cas more furiously. "Wait," Castiel huffed, "Dean."

"What," Dean answered sharply. Castiel inched back on the bed and beckoned Dean with a wave.

"Come here," He said. Dean crawled on top of Cas, licking his lips. His irritation only began to fade when Castiel unzipped Dean's pants and released him from his boxers. The door to Sam's room was shut slowly and locked by an invisible holy power. When he had him closed off in the room, Cas caressed Dean's dick and murmured, "Turn around."

Within seconds, Castiel was stroking and sucking Dean as the Winchester returned the favor. Dean loved the fact that this had become one of Castiel's favorite positions. Cas always seemed to blow him more vigorously when he was also getting sucked off. Whether he was the six or the nine of sixty-nine, Cas loved the reciprocity of the position. Dean moaned around the engorged cock in his mouth as Cas lovingly massaged, licked, and sucked him in return. They gradually became overwhelmed by the pleasure of their mutual attentions.

Castiel was no longer surprised by how badly he wanted to make Dean come and by how desperately he wanted to taste him. Castiel privately pleaded Dean to fill him. Soon, he was bathed in Dean's fluids. Dean's climax made a mess of his mouth and tarnished Castiel's shirt, tie, and coat. When the angel came, Dean licked him clean, careful not to sully Sam's bed any more than they already had. Dean's tongue made Cas shiver and groan.

"You taste so good, Cas," Dean whispered between Castiel's legs. The Winchester sat to the side to inspect the other man and smiled with satisfaction when he saw what a mess he had made of Castiel. He was overcome with a swell of pride because Cas so loved to be drenched in his essence.

"You're adorable." Dean praised Cas with his tongue, licking away the trail of cum that flowed from his lips. He lavished Cas with attention and the angel responded with sweet kisses. Dean tugged on Castiel's tie and gave the blue fabric a kiss, "Dirty son of a bitch."

Around another taste of Dean, Castiel mumbled against his lips, "We should wash the sheets."

"You serious?" Dean muttered back. Castiel nodded, and Dean laughed, "But we didn't get them dirty."

Fuck Sam and his fucking sheets.

"You have to wash your clothes anyway."

Castiel got his way in the end and Dean followed him around the apartment like he was his shadow. After being on the road with Dean for a while now, the angel had become rather familiar with laundromats. For whatever reason, Castiel would occasionally volunteer to do the laundry even though he never had any dirty clothes of his own. Castiel's most recent love stains miraculously vanished as he set about to wash clothes. Watching the other man do even these mundane things was endearing to Dean. He sat on the washer as Cas loaded the machine and chatted idly with the angel until, inevitably, his mind returned to sex. Dean reclined on the washer and spread his legs. "Hey, Cas," he said. "We should do it in here."

"No," Castiel answered immediately even though he was tempted. Dean drew Cas near by his coat, exuding seduction like it was his purpose in life.

"At least a kiss?" Dean pleaded. At this, Cas leaned forward and covered his mouth with his own. Finally, Dean could see the appeal of having a setup like this. They couldn't lock lips at the laundromat without getting a heap of unwanted attention, although perhaps someday Dean would try. They definitely could not do what Dean was fantasizing about in public unless they both wanted to get thrown into jail. In the nook that was Sam's laundry room, Dean felt completely at home slipping his hands beneath Cas' suit jacket to feel the warm body beneath it. The angel kneed the washer door shut and leaned in to Dean to suck and kiss his gorgeous lips. Cas knew this was just another way of Dean's to coax him into sex, so Cas pulled away. Dean nudged him with his ankle. "C'mon, baby. We've got the place all to ourselves."

"No, Dean," Cas hissed.

"But you're so sexy when you do laundry," Dean grinned and pressed his lips to the corner of Castiel's mouth.

"Am I?" Cas shone on the inside and reached behind Dean to set the machine to colors. He was drawn into another welcomed kiss and pressed himself further into Dean as they kissed to push the start button to get the washer whirring. During an interlude of their mingling mouths, Cas sighed, "How is that possible? How is me doing laundry sexy?"

"'Cause you're sexy all the time," Dean purred and tugged at the waist of Castiel's pants. Cas struggled to fight what he knew he wanted. His hands were placed on either side of Dean on top of the vibrating machine. Cas always found himself being pulled into something by Dean, but he still felt guilty about what they were doing because he respected Sam's space.

"You would do it with me in every room in this apartment," Castiel stated, knowing it to be a fact.

"On every damn surface," Dean replied.

"We just cleaned every surface," Castiel countered. He was wavering, but stood his ground. "It's a bad idea."

"You love me for my bad ideas," Dean winked and Cas didn't deny it. Suddenly, Castiel's attention shifted to the living room. He cocked his head to the side, listened, and then frowned.

"Were we supposed to walk the dog?" Castiel said and Dean deflated instantly. They had promised Sam one thing and that was to walk the dog while he was out. Oddly, there was a lack of the pitter-pattering of paws in the apartment. Apart from the sound of the washer and their voices, the apartment was still. "It seems kind of quiet, don't you think?"

"Aw, forget about the dog," Dean whined, but Cas had already left to go search for the animal. To himself, Dean complained, "I thought of a name for the dog. I'm gonna start calling him Cockblocker."

Their promise to Sam never got fulfilled because the puppy had vanished from the apartment. This turn of events put both men on edge. They searched high and low for Flash but never found him. In a moment of weakness, Dean was filled with horror at that thought that maybe Cas had loaded him into the washer, but Cas shot down that idea quickly.

"Hey, Sam. Okay, here's the deal. We lost your dog," Dean explained over the phone to Sam. Sam wasn't supposed to be taking personal calls, but he had gotten someone to cover for him for a quick minute.

"What? How did you lose him? The apartment isn't that big. Did you leave the door open?" Sam responded.

"No, I didn't leave the door open," Dean shot back. "He just Houdini'd himself out. We looked everywhere. We even walked around the block callin' for him."

Sam was more upset than he was angry. He'd had the puppy for less than a day and he was already gone. He sighed and pressed his palm to his forehead. He kicked a can behind the alley of the bar in his distress, but then thought better and went to pick it up to throw it away in the appropriate receptacle. When he walked by the bins, a dark black head peered up at him. Sam didn't notice it until the animal barked. "Jesus!" Sam cried and Dean asked him what was going on from the other end of the line. The puppy scampered out of his hiding spot and got up on his hind legs to paw at Sam's shins. "Oh, puppy! Puppy, you came to look for me. Oh my God. Little puppy, c'mere."

Dean frowned. "He's over there with you?"

"He's right here," Sam smiled and gathered the animal into his arms. "How did he even know where I was? Oh my God, he's so smart. Who's a good boy?"

"Alright, well, if everything's cool, I'm gonna let you go. Bye, Sammy." Dean hung up.

"No, wait!" Sam cried a second too late. What am I going to do with you? He doubted he was supposed to have animals at work, but he would have to manage somehow.

When Sam finally returned home, he found Dean and Castiel spread out on his moss green couch, asleep in front of Die Hard. Sam had never seen his place look like a home until it was full of furniture and the cozy scene before him. He carried the puppy inside, already knowing that this would be one of his favorite Christmases.

Even though he was exhausted from working all day and night, Sam went out to do some secret shopping. He collapsed on clean sheets, pleased by the scent of fresh lavender that lulled him to sleep. When Cas and Dean woke up, the tiniest Christmas tree was perched beside them with poorly wrapped presents resting under its dull illumination. Dean wandered over to the tree and shook his present. There was one for Cas too.

"He got us presents?" Dean smiled. That was just like Sam. "Well, I guess it is Christmas."

Castiel inched towards the bedroom and saw Sam sprawled out on his bed. He was fully clothed, unbathed, and had rings around his eyes. The puppy slept beside Sam until Castiel took another step forward. Flash's eye cracked open and Castiel backed away to leave Sam in peace. Sam didn't wake up until about noon when he popped out of bed like he was late for something. He ripped off his clothes and bolted into the shower. Sam didn't remember he'd been able to get the next few days off until he was in front of his mirror brushing his teeth. He laughed at his reflection and thanked the gods that he'd worked so hard and covered for so many people that he was able to get the time off that he needed.

"Hey guys!" Sam beamed as he wandered out into the living room. "I have the next few days off!"

"Good. Now sit down," Dean commanded with a spatula. "I'm making breakfast."

"Breakfast? But it's already past noon."

"We waited for you," Dean admitted reluctantly. Castiel poured Sam a cup of coffee while Dean fiddled with the stove.

"Thanks, Cas," Sam took a whiff of the heavenly brew. He wouldn't have prayed for anything else at the moment. Dean made French toast and surprised everyone with his culinary skills. The toast was mainly for Cas because he knew Cas loved toast, but Dean also thought Sam would need something indulgent after the late night he'd had. Just for Sam, Dean cut up a heap of fruit too. When Sam asked when he'd learned to cook French toast like that, Dean simply replied that he knew how to cook everything from having taken care of Sam most of his life.

"I've made you French toast before," Dean said before shoveling another hot toasty mess into his mouth.

"I don't remember," Sam answered.

"That's because you never remember anything," Dean complained. "You better remember this time."

Christmas Eve was filled with laziness and more food. All three men crowded into the kitchen to figure out how ham was supposed to be prepared. Sam had only purchased the ham because he'd seen people eating ham on Christmas in movies. Since he had an oven, he wanted to test out the Christmas ham phenomenon. Sam whipped up some buttery veggies that even Dean could enjoy. Cas made an ancient sweet pancake dessert that the brothers had ever heard of, but everyone appreciated.

Dean got so impatient to open his present that he persuaded Sam that Christmas would start at midnight. It was only fair since Sam's present was already running around the apartment. At the stroke of midnight, Sam handed each of the other men a box and apologized in advance, "Okay, don't get your hopes up. I didn't have a lot of time to shop. I'm sorry."

"This is some presentation," Dean teased as he shifted the box around to observe the horrid wrapping job. "Were you drunk when you wrapped this?"

"I was really tired. Shut up, Dean. I didn't realize it was so bad until the next morning."

Castiel didn't know what the tradition was, so he sat around and waited for Dean to open his present first. Inside the box he had been given were several other boxes. "You got me bullets?"

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what you would want," Sam blushed. His only thought had been that since Dean was obsessed with hunting, he would appreciate something that was related to hunting.

"I fucking love bullets," Dean proclaimed emphatically. He pulled out so many boxes of bullets of all the kinds he needed and spread them out like precious gems on the floor. Under all of the ammo, Dean came across a box that was different than the others. He pulled it out with admiration. "And a new knife. Oh, this is sexy. Thanks, Sam."

"You're welcome. The guy at the shop totally thought I was a serial killer," Sam chuckled. "I went in so late looking like hell, but I got a good deal. Actually, now that I think about it, I think a lot of people think I'm a serial killer…"

Sam shrugged his shoulders and reminded himself that killing was probably not a good subject to dwell upon on Christmas even if it made up a majority of all their lives. Sam begged Cas to open his present and the angel did with so much care that the brothers told him just to rip it. When Cas removed the tin lid of the box containing his present, he saw a beautiful cerulean blue fabric. He pulled out the material and found it to be a soft scarf. Underneath the scarf was a pair of Aviator sunglasses. "Thank you, Sam. It's beautiful. And these will be useful."

Sam felt embarrassed because he suspected that the angel probably didn't get cold and that the sun also most likely didn't bother his eyes. He just thought the blue suited Cas and maybe he could use the sunglasses. Cas did squint a lot, but Sam was fairly certain Cas was humoring him. Dean seemed to enjoy the presents intended for the angel even more than Cas did. "Put 'em on," Dean urged.

The angel set the sunglasses on his face and wrapped the scarf around his neck. He was transformed into a completely different person to the boys and appeared uncharacteristically cool. "I think it's hot," Dean said.

Castiel really was hard to shop for, but Sam apologized again anyway, "Sorry, man. Next time I'll think of something better."

"I got you something too," Dean said to Cas. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a package of cigars. "Merry Christmas."

"And you made fun of my wrapping skills?" Sam raised a brow. Sam would bet his wages for a week that Dean had impulsively purchased something for Castiel at the last minute, while buying chips at the gas station. He imagined Dean bought the first thing at eye level that he could attach to Cas in some round about way. Truthfully, Dean had been musing about Castiel's present for a while, but still came up with nothing extraordinary. Reality had played out very close to what Sam envisioned. While Dean had been thinking about what to get Castiel at a shop, his eyes had caught the cigars. He thought about Castiel's lips around a cigar and decided that was something Cas needed to have. Sam asked, "Why cigars? Cas, did you pick up smoking?"

"Hey, listen. People smoke cigars when they celebrate stuff, right? Christmas is a celebration, put two and two together," Dean replied. Then, he sighed softly, "And Cas does like to suck on things."

Sam's hand flew to his mouth. He couldn't believe Dean's crassness, or that his brother would select such an ill-conceived gift for the person he loved most. "I don't think you understand the concept of Christmas, Dean. The present was supposed to be for him not you."

Dean swallowed, suspecting that he'd made a condemnable error. He'd never been good at the whole Christmas thing, which is why he generally hated it. "Wait, I'm not done."

He disappeared for a minute and returned with a bottle. He presented it to Cas. "This is for you too. It's some brandy, 'cause I know you like it."

"Thank you, Dean," Castiel answered with genuine contentment. He wasn't used to receiving gifts of any kind and found the experience to be bizarre, yet amusing. He had no other Christmas experiences to compare this one to, so even Dean's inadequate presents were appreciated. Cas gave Dean an adoring look, "We'll drink it together."

"Okay," Dean answered shyly.

Sam didn't know how Castiel put up with Dean, but he was glad he did because he'd never seen his brother so happy. Dean didn't scream his love from the mountaintop, at least not in Sam's presence, but it was evident that Dean was a changed man. He had changed for the better. At the moment, Dean looked like he was restraining himself strongly from pulling Cas into his arms. In his peculiar way, this was about as thoughtful and generous as Dean ever got to be.

"I didn't get you anything," Castiel said to Dean with a hint of disappointment in his voice. He couldn't believe he had forgotten such an important detail and felt ashamed that he had never thought to get Dean a present. "I'm sorry."

"Forget about it," Dean responded. "I got you. And, I guess Sam."

"What do you mean 'you guess'?" Sam said in a mockingly wounded voice. "I slaved to buy you those bullets. I hand crafted that knife myself."

"Alright, drama queen."

"Weirdo."

"Bitch."

"Jerk."

They poured some drinks and managed to enjoy the rest of the night without anyone getting kidnapped, stabbed, shot, or bloodied. If anything, that was the true Christmas miracle.

Dean and Cas spent another day together with Sam before heading back on the road. For the next few days, they spent a lot of time driving. Dean thought about getting a house more than he ever had before, but he never mentioned it to Cas because he knew he wouldn't be able to live away from the road. The road was his life and the Impala was the only home he needed. Dean decided that maybe every now and then he would just live vicariously through Sam. Dean and Cas settled into the Cactus Inn Motel for the night.

Dean relaxed and cleaned his gun while Cas read the newspaper for any unusual stories. Dean took a swig of beer and spoke to Cas, "Anything interesting?"

"No," Castiel replied. He continued to flip through the paper, but the trained eye could tell he was distracted. When Dean put away his cleaned weapon, Cas addressed the other man. "Dean?"

"Yeah?" Dean glanced over to Cas and could tell the man was mulling over something that was bothering him.

"How late can you give Christmas gifts?"

Dean grinned, "Are you still thinking about that? I told you, I don't want anything. It's fine. Why do you ask?"

"Because I got you something," Cas said flatly. He folded up the paper nervously because he needed to do something with his hands. Dean tossed Cas a smirk and waited with anticipation.

"Well, where is it?" he asked. Dean hadn't noticed Castiel wrapping anything and he didn't remember a time when Castiel had been gone for longer than a few moments. But then, Cas could teleport and was quite fast so it would be effortless for him to sneak off to get Dean something without Dean being any wiser.

Castiel only became more flustered. In a hushed tone, he said, "You have to take off my clothes to get it."

"I like where this is going." Dean wandered over to Cas and pulled the man on his feet. Castiel was trying to be sexy, and it was working. This was exactly Dean's kind of Christmas. With excitement, he shed Castiel's coat. "What could it be?" He muttered to Cas as he pulled off his tie. He left kisses all over Castiel's face and made quick work of his suit jacket and shirt. Dean carefully observed the other man's bare chest and found nothing out of the ordinary.

Castiel was afraid that he'd made a mistake in the gift he had selected for Dean, but it was too late to turn back now. Cas kicked off his shoes to reveal restlessly squirming toes clad in black. Dean's fingers were slipping around his belt and his thigh was sliding between his legs. "Whatever it is, I know I'm gonna like it," Dean whispered and unzipped Castiel's pants. The angel shut his eyes as he was kissed and Dean moved his hand into Castiel's slacks.

"What's this?" Dean inhaled sharply as his fingers felt around an angel dick clothed in material that was sleeker than he was used to. Spurred by excitement, Dean rapidly pulled down Cas' pants. He cried out in surprise, "Holy shit, Cas."

No.

Dean couldn't believe his eyes. He knelt before Cas in worship and his mouth became numb with lust because Cas was wearing black thigh high nylons. He had a garter belt on and matching black panties. Dean knew he should have expected something of this nature, given that Cas had specified that his gift to Dean was beneath his clothing, but Dean would have never imagined Castiel in lingerie. Dean was stunned by how alluring he looked in the black garments of seduction.

Even though he was still covered, Castiel felt more naked than ever before. He stepped out of his pants and kicked them to the side to give Dean a full view of his body. "Is it okay?" Castiel looked down at Dean with his blue eyes filled with apprehension. "They only sold these in women's sections, so I'm sure they're not meant for men, but I…"

"N-No, it's good." Dean caressed up Castiel's smooth calf and thigh. He pressed his mouth to the lacy detail that met with the buckle of the garter. Dean nearly swooned, "It's really good."

Castiel gasped when Dean hoisted him up and carried him to the bed. Dean's fingers trailed patterns on the bottoms of Castiel's feet, which caused the man let out an involuntary laugh. "Dean," Cas breathed, "What did you just do?"

"What, this?" Dean brushed his fingers on Castiel's feet again, producing another short, instinctive laugh. Fuck me. "Cas, you're ticklish? You sexy mother fucker."

Dean crawled up on Cas' body with energy, leaving kisses all over his legs and mid-section as he provoked more soft laughs from the angel. Dean kissed his cock over the panties and ran his eager tongue over his length. "What made you do this?" Dean muttered between Castiel's legs. "Panties, garters, how the fuck did you know this is exactly what I wanted for Christmas?"

"I didn't," Castiel moaned helplessly beneath Dean. He was so uninhibited that he responded with greater honestly than he thought he should have. "I did it because you did it for me, and… in case you miss women."

Castiel looked down and met Dean's intense green eyes. He remembered the sleek, lacy bra Dean had worn as a woman. That was where Cas had gotten the idea because he wanted Dean to feel the same satisfaction that he had felt upon seeing Dean clad so beautifully in emerald. Castiel knew that Dean loved him, but he wasn't sure if he could be enough, though he tried to be. Aphrodite had mentioned that Dean would never touch a woman again, but Cas still entertained the idea that someday Dean would want more than what he could offer. He had known Dean long enough to be aware of the fact that monogamy was not his norm. Dean was frozen in thought and affected with a shiver of sadness.

"No. No, baby. I don't miss women," Dean furrowed his brow. Castiel was more beautiful inside and out than any woman – any person – he had ever met. Cas could smite a demon with a touch, he could sear a human's eyes with the power of his true existence, and he was timelessly wise and knowledgeable. Yet, he had gone to the lengths to buy lingerie to keep Dean's attention. Dean couldn't believe Castiel would worry about such things when he was powerful and incredible in so many ways. Before Cas, Dean had only believed in family, death, and pain. Now, he had everlasting love and friendship. Dean couldn't make himself miss women if he tried because he had someone like Cas.

"You still don't get it," Dean sat up on the bed and lifted Castiel's lower body with him. He wrapped his arms around Castiel's hips and upper thighs to support him and buried his face between his legs. Dean nudged the black panties out of the way around Cas' thighs. His tongue caressed the rim of Castiel's entrance with loving strokes. "I love your tight ass," Dean growled. He looked Cas directly in the eyes, "I love your dick."

Dean released Castiel from the severe position he had been in after lavishing him with his tongue in tortuous licks. Dean shed his layers of clothing and directed all of his attention to Cas, "I love every fucking thing about you, and that's why I want you to come buckets. I want you, Cas, more than I'll ever want anyone else."

Castiel was stunned by the intense reaction his poorly chosen words had inspired. A trace of water lined the corner of his eye and his skin flushed as Dean wrapped his mouth around Castiel's erection. The Winchester penetrated Cas with eager slickened fingers. He knew exactly how to curl his digits to encourage blissful whimpers and heated moans. Dean was fervent in his treatment of Cas. He intended to make the angel believe he was all he needed through the device of passion.

The onyx of the nylons brushed over Dean's shoulders as Cas writhed and panted beneath Dean. Cas was hot iron in Dean's mouth, but the rest of his body was weak and sensitive. In soft tones, Cas cried out Dean's name in praise. With a sharp jolt of stimulation, he arched his back and drove further into Dean's mouth. The Winchester swallowed the challenge with greed and the desire to make Castiel lose even more of his control.

Come, baby. Fill me up.

Dean closed his eyes and could feel the hardened cock beneath the stroke of his palm begin to waver. His tongue caressed Cas one last time before Castiel reached a heady orgasm. Dean continued to prod Cas using his fingers because he loved to see his angel afflicted by too many sensations of elation. Castiel shuddered when Dean ran his hand over his leg. "Dean."

The Winchester snapped the jet black suspender on his leg and had to swallow to reply, "Yeah?"

Wordlessly, Castiel pushed his leg beneath Dean to stroke his stiff member with his foot. He curled into the bed and rubbed the nylon against Dean again because he cherished the look of arousal on Dean's face. Castiel's stockings became covered in pre-cum as he continued to fondle Dean. "Please," Cas implored softly, "Take me."

Dean obeyed Castiel with startling urgency. The clips of Cas' garter suspenders were unfastened and his panties were all but torn away. Dean swung the angel's legs over his shoulders and impaled Cas into the bed. Dean could only respond to Castiel's sweetness and his wanton cravings with rough thrusts and moist, heated kisses. He drove Castiel into the headboard and the angel was thrilled by every second.

Dean pounded into Cas with aggression. He ripped the black cloth around Castiel's leg without noticing because he was so overcome with enthusiasm. Castiel gripped Dean forcefully and begged for more with small, affected whimpers. Dean groped Castiel's perfect ass and slipped a hand under Cas' garter belt to claw the pale skin there.

Castiel bucked up into Dean and the man responded with a groan of gratification. Dean moved his face into Castiel's sweat-slicked skin and tore his teeth into the angel. He loved Castiel so much he couldn't help wanting to tear him apart. Castiel gasped and moaned. The blaze in Dean's eyes was well worth the pain that seeped into his body.

The angel buried a hand in Dean's dirty blond hair and pulled, which only incited Dean. Castiel was pressed onto his side so Dean could fuck him sideways. Dean delved in deeply and his pace quickened. When he finally spilled his climax into Castiel's body, Dean trailed his mouth along Castiel's back. He remained inside of Cas and huffed warm breaths into his skin as they rested together. After some moments, Dean gathered Castiel into his body with a muscled arm and reached over to cover his mouth with his own in a prolonged, impassioned kiss.

Dean tugged gently on Castiel's lips and then asked in a hushed voice, "You gonna say I miss women again?"

"No," Cas whined in return. He shook his head and Dean ran his tongue over his ear before whispering to him again.

"Good. You better not. But you can wear lingerie any fucking day of the week." Dean pressed Castiel down on his stomach with care because the angel had been reduced to a delicate heap of tingling sex. Dean didn't stop adorning him with affection. He admired the lace on his hips and caressed the material while leaving kisses on Castiel's back. Dean found one of the sensitive spots beneath Cas' shoulder blade and sucked. Castiel made a sniveling sound and pulled on the sheets.

Dean could only think of one thing he wanted in addition to the angel in black shuddering in his arms. There was only ever one thing he could ask of Cas and never receive. "Cas, there's only one thing that would make this more perfect," Dean murmured quietly, because he was bared down for another rejection. Into his neck, he begged, "Angel, baby, would you give it to me?"

"I'll give you anything," Cas cried, unaware of what Dean meant until it was spelled out to him.

"I want to touch you," Dean said. Castiel's eyes widened because Dean was already holding and kissing a great deal of him. He knew he could mean only one thing. "Your heavenly body. Your angel wings. Cas, could you – "

"No," Castiel responded with a firmness that almost made Dean give up. Dean flinched but didn't let go of Cas or his desire. The angel knew Dean would never stop asking. "I can't. You know I can't. You can never look upon my true form."

Dean had listened to those very words more than once, but he had never felt so crushed by them. "Please?" Dean breathed and caressed the space where he knew the appendages existed in some other plane of existence. "I know you want it as much as I do."

"I would never deny you something if it was in my power to give it to you." Castiel insisted, "But you know what you want is impossible. I can't hurt you."

Dean mulled over Castiel's words in silence. He knew his eyes would fry into his skull if he ever looked at the real Cas and that fact filled him with immense woe. He wanted to touch the angel Cas in the same way he touched Cas' human form. He needed to feel him. Worse things had happened to Dean than blindness, so he refused to give up. "We can figure something out, can't we?"

"It's not worth it. I could heal you after seeing me, but you still wouldn't be able to comprehend whatever you saw," Castiel sighed, correctly guessing Dean's foolish plan. Cas didn't think there were appropriate words in any human language to explain his multi-dimensional existence. Dean couldn't even listen to his voice without cowering in agony, so Castiel completely ruled out the notion of Dean ever catching the smallest glimpse of his body. Cas hid his face into the bed, wishing Dean had never asked.

"I don't care what it takes. I need a piece of the real you," Dean asserted. He still found it difficult to express his honest feelings to any person, but he endeavored to describe to Cas why it mattered so much to him. "I lived as a chick for more than two weeks. I let you – and nobody else – fuck me and touch me. I loved every second you looked at me, but it's not the same. You've got the real me now and I need the real you. I know you need it too."

"Dean, no. You can't look at me," Cas repeated. He covered his face with his hands and trembled. His worst fear, apart from hurting Dean, was that Dean would find his angelic form disturbing, repulsive, and ugly. He enjoyed the gazes Dean gave him when he admired his blue eyes. Cas preferred to wear the fleshy muscles Dean had became so familiar with. He had given Dean everything else, but he could never give him this.

"What if I don't look?" Dean asked. He pressed a kiss on Castiel's cheek and pulled away the angel's hand to have a look into his frightened, pained eyes. "What if I just touch?"

Cas blinked, "I don't know."

"Have you ever tried it?"

"You could die," Cas stated while looking at Dean straight in his eyes.

Dean was afraid of death, but he knew there were things that were much worse. "You don't know what would happen, do you? That means it could work."

"It's a bad idea."

"You love me for my bad ideas," Dean grinned.

Castiel contemplated Dean. He was right in many ways, but Cas was still terrified. Dean turned Cas so that they were completely facing each other. "If you let me try this, I'll never ask again," Dean said, "I won't look. Just touch."

"It's dangerous, Dean. You don't understand how dangerous this could be," Cas stressed, "No human has ever touched me."

"And no other human ever should. How many times have we saved each other's lives? How many friggin' times have you died for me?" Dean hissed. "We have a God damned union that's blessed by a fucking goddess. Have just the tiniest bit of faith, just for me."

Castiel remembered a time that seemed like an eternity ago when he had spoken to Dean about his lack of faith. It was strange, how much things had changed. "You would have to be blindfolded."

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

Castiel paused. "You can touch one feather with the tip of your finger. Just my wings. I'll only reveal my wings."

Dean pressed his lips to Castiel's brow repeatedly. He pulled the man up and kissed him passionately. Cas sat with Dean after finding his tie. "Close your eyes," Cas commanded. When Dean complied, Castiel wrapped his tie around his head and secured it tightly. "Keep your eyes closed no matter what happens and don't move the blindfold. If I even suspect you're trying to peak, I'll put my wings away and we will never have this conversation again."

Dean nodded and practiced keeping his eyes closed.

"Say you won't look. Say it."

"I won't look. I promise I won't look." Dean shivered because he liked it when Castiel laid down the rules and because he was so excited to have the unique opportunity to be in the presence of Castiel's true nature. Dean knew Castiel was greater than he would ever be, but it rarely frightened him as it did now. He would summon the courage not to let any of his fear show because he wanted to touch Cas more than he wanted anything. His jaw stiffened. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Wearing little other than the blindfold, Dean felt gentle lips on his mouth. Dean didn't have to look to know when Castiel's wings had materialized into their dimension. They tore through space, rending a thunderous crack in reality. Their meeting was like that of a gray falcon and a sightless mouse. They were both as still as they could manage for fear that one wrong move would cause a tragic end to the peace they were sharing.

For several moments, Dean sat across from Castiel, feeling the breeze and hearing the great swooshing sounds Cas' wings produced without being able to see the expression of felicity on Castiel's face. This was a rare instance in which Dean had accurately deduced Castiel's feelings. Cas had always wished that Dean could be in his angelic presence. Ever since he had pulled him from the pit of Hell, Cas had wanted Dean to know who he really was. Dean kept his eyes squeezed shut and remained totally still as he was bombarded by various strange sensations. He could feel the air moving and sizzling around him, but didn't know where to place his hand to feel Cas. A bold oscillation of Castiel's wings caused his ears to ring.

"I'm sorry," Castiel apologized fearfully. "I can't always control them very well. Did I hurt you?"

"No," Dean replied. When Dean shot out his hand and felt the space near Castiel's shoulder, the angel sharply brushed his wings back and out of Dean's reach. The quick motion caused the television to break, the mirror in the bathroom to crack in half, and several light bulbs to burst. Dean froze in place. "What'd I do?"

"This isn't going to work. Let me help you," Castiel said. He grabbed Dean's arms and pulled the human into his lap. It took considerable effort for Cas to keep his wings spread behind him because they had a natural inclination to curl forward. Castiel's wings desired to swing towards Dean, but he hesitated. Dean dipped his head down to bury his blindfolded face into the crook of Castiel's neck. Dean was fairly certain that his vision shouldn't be a yellowish white with his eyes closed, but he didn't dare tell Castiel that something was unusual. The instant the wings had appeared, Dean had seen the glow although his eyes had been concealed.

"You gonna let me touch you?" Dean asked. He still felt like he was staring at the sun even with his eyes shut, blindfolded, and buried in Castiel's skin. "Let me touch you. I can handle it."

"Okay," Castiel mumbled in a shaky voice. He tried to relax, but it was nearly impossible. "I'll just take your hand and guide it. Tell me if it hurts or if you feel anything else…unusual."

Cas held Dean's head to his chest with one hand and guided his wrist with his other. Dean stretched out his finger and felt a buzz. "Is that it? Did I just touch it?"

"Yeah," Castiel replied. "Did I hurt you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Can I touch it again?" Dean asked. Castiel had felt Dean's finger for only an instant and it hadn't been nearly enough.

"Okay, but be careful," Castiel answered. He felt Dean's fingers trail across his feathers again and gasped at the sensation. The feeling was odd, but good. The angel broke into a wide smile. Dean caressed him gently and steadily, grinning into Castiel's chest.

The Winchester had never felt anything like Cas' wings before and had no idea what could possibly compare to them. All he could think as his palm ghosted over Castiel's wings was that his mass of plumes felt like a cloud of electricity. His feathers were soft and burned lightly, but not enough to cause Dean pain. Touching Castiel's wings felt like he was touching a beckon of power or the fount of life. Words were lacking to describe it. "Cas, you feel awesome."

Castiel's breath hitched in his throat, "Really?"

"Soft, beautiful, powerful," Dean exhaled and plunged his hand through as many feathers as he could reach. He felt several static stings and then smooth, sleek fibers. "I'm touching you, Cas. Really touching you."

Castiel enveloped Dean closer and pressed his lips to the top of Dean's head. He had never received such an invasive, but intimate touch. Cas couldn't believe Dean was touching him. His wings finally relaxed completely and Dean took a wing for each hand. Dean felt around for the base of each massive appendage and trailed his fingers around the limbs he had only ever been able to imagine before. He brushed his hands out and felt feathers of various lengths.

"Be gentle," Castiel warned, but he was too late. He felt something snag in his feathers and then he felt a pang of pain. "That hurts, Dean!"

"Aw, shit! Cas, I'm stuck," Dean was able to pull away one of his hands but his other hand was wrist deep in feathers. He tried to pull away, but could feel his watch had snagged on Castiel's wing. When he moved, the angel groaned and his wings went into a spasm. The shock from the motion knocked the picture frame off the wall behind them. Dean was only safe because he was being cradled so near Castiel's body. "Shit, shit! Should I pull out?"

"No! Ow, Dean. That hurts. S-Stop."

"I can't! I'm stuck," Dean stammered, "Wait, let me just – hang on, baby, I'm gonna pull just a little bit."

"Dean!"

When Dean heard a snap, his eyes flew open. I broke Cas. He took in a frightened breath and started to feel his eyes singe because he couldn't will himself to close them again. In an instant, the piercing light was gone and his blindfold was removed. Castiel was holding Dean's face in his hands and glaring at him, but Dean couldn't see anything. Castiel raised his voice in annoyance, "Why did you pull when I told you not to?"

"I'm sorry," Dean blubbered, "Did I break you? Did I break your wing?"

"No, they're fine. You just hurt me a little," Castiel answered. His anger dissipated and panic began to rise in Cas' chest when he saw that Dean's eyes were not focusing on his face. Dean's green eyes were not scorched, and appeared otherwise normal, but they were unseeing. A trickle of blood trailed from Dean's nose. "Dean?" Castiel swallowed, "Can you see?"

"No," Dean shook his head. He was so unnerved that he gulped and answered honestly, "No, I can't. Cas, why does it smell like blood?"

"That's you. You're bleeding," Castiel said, but Dean didn't hear him because he lost consciousness.

Dean didn't know how long he'd been out, but when he awoke, he still couldn't see. He only knew his eyes were open because he made a conscious effort to blink and Castiel had begun to talk to him. Dean sat up and rubbed his eyes with a fury. When he opened them, he could only see a hazy cloud.

"Dean, are you alright?" The angel asked. "Can you see?"

"No…" Dean cried. He didn't know where Cas was until the man grabbed his arms. Scared and confused, Dean pleaded, "Cas, just heal me. Please."

"I already did."

"What do you mean you already did? How come I can't see then?" Dean trembled because none of this had been a part of his plan. He was holding something soft in his hand and he didn't know what it was, "What's in my hand?"

"One of my feathers. You plucked out one of my feathers."

"Oh, shit. I'm sorry," Dean muttered. When Cas tried to take his feather away, Dean refused to let go.

"Dean, let it go." Cas had tried to remove the feather from Dean's grip as he slept, but the Winchester held on to it resolutely.

"No."

"It's not supposed to be in this world. I don't even know how it's still here."

"Damn it, if I'm gonna be blind, at least let me keep the damn feather." Dean couldn't see the way Cas suffered from the thought that he had blinded Dean. Cas let him go and let him keep the feather. Thankfully, Dean's blindness lasted for only about fifteen minutes longer. The first thing he looked at when he regained his vision was the feather in his hand. At first, it was blurry, but it rapidly became clear. "Hey, Cas? Your feathers are gray?"

Castiel scrambled on top of the bed over to Dean. "Can you see?"

"Yeah, but my eyes hurt like a bitch."

"Dean, don't look at my feather!" Cas tried to pull it away from Dean again, thinking that his wings had already caused enough damage.

"But I'm already looking at it," Dean said and his lips molded into a bright smile because he was gazing upon a piece of the true Cas. He took in Castiel's face next and leapt on top of him. "I can see you too. God am I ever glad I can see you again."

"I thought I had blinded you," Cas groaned in anguish and embraced Dean tightly. "We should have never done that. I told you it was a bad idea."

"Are you kidding? It was totally worth it."

"You were passed out and blind for hours," Castiel cried. "You're still hurting."

Dean had to get used to having functioning eyes again. His soreness began to fade gradually, and the longer he kept his eyes open, the clearer his vision became. He couldn't keep his eyes off the feather. For the first time since plucking it, Dean could fully absorb the sliver of angel in his hand.

Castiel's feather was the dark gray of a deep shadow or a gloomy cavern fog. The color appeared uniform in one instant and then shifting the next. Dean thought the duality of Cas was fascinating and awe-inspiring. A remarkable phenomenon of the universe allowed Castiel to be blindingly bright at the same time that he was so gorgeously dark. A wave of his wings could demolish a motel room, but his feathers were so soft. Dean must have been gripping the feather with crushing force for Cas to be unable to rend it from his clutches as he slept, and yet it remained perfectly intact in his hand. The long, silky, and pliable plume was as strong as steel, just like Cas. When Dean ran his fingers over it, the feather reflected a stunning obsidian shimmer. "It was worth it, Cas. I've never seen anything so beautiful."