Dean, Cas and Sam were sitting in the study; they had just finished working a case; a nest of vamps and just a typical day at the office. What wasn't typical was that Sam couldn't stop talking about Ruby, they had just worked out the whole Demon/hunter relationship thing.

Dean and Cas were still a little iffy on the whole situation given the circumstances; but Sam was happy and at the end of the day that was kind of all that mattered.

Cas listened intently to how Sam talked of her; "To love someone and have them love you back… what's that like?" he questioned, he had been fortunate enough to experience what is was like to love someone; somewhere along the line he had fallen for Dean, but he could never tell him; all he could do was stare off into his green eyes and wonder if he could ever feel the same.

Dean shifted in his seat; as he looked across the table at Cas; he gulped back the lump that grew in his throat. Because although he tried to fight it; his feelings for Cas had grown and turned into something else altogether; something he didn't even totally understand, I mean he had always been with women… lots of women… all the time. But now he looked over at his best friend; his heart raced; his palms began to sweat; and he had a hard time taking his eyes off Cas's lips. So when Cas asked that question he couldn't help but wonder the same thing, Dean looked away quickly realizing he had been staring again, he lowered his gaze to the floor.

"It's amazing" Sam voiced, "imagine being with someone you feel completely comfortable with, and you look at them knowing if this were your last minute on earth there's nowhere else you'd rather be but with them; it's like you're together and you forget everything else" he explained, then shot a glance between Cas and Dean "Life is too short to deny feelings" Sam added; trying to clue them both in.

Cas glanced up at Dean; "it would be great to feel that way" he voiced, when what he really wanted to say was that 'I feel that way for you' but he faltered and fell short.

Dean looked at Cas; there eyes meeting and gazing into one another "I hear ya—" he started to say, trying to force out the rest, his heart was beating a mile a minute, pounding through his chest; as he fell deeper into those blue eyes. He wants to tell him, to say all those things he never could and say them out loud; he took a deep breath "I hear ya baby" he says letting the word slip off his tongue.

Cas turned the comers of his mouth upward; "Baby…" he voiced repeating it "I like that" Cas replied nodding his head to the new nickname.

Sam smiled as he dropped his head shaking it back and forth; when he realized they both just figured it out, when he's been standing in the middle of it for months now.

Dean tilted his head to the side smiling coyly.

It happened, he told him; and now he knew Cas felt the same way too. Their time now filled with sweet kisses, their finger intertwined. Mornings spent with Cas trying to cook pancakes to surprise him, Dean walking in to find him covered in batter; gently wiping it from Cas's cheek and licking off.

The nights they laid back on the hood of the impala; looking up at the heavens filled with bright lights as Cas would talk about back home, their hands clasped together.

Countless night succumbing to the passions of their bodies; rolling around the sheets in his bed, and waking up to each other the next morning, wanting to do it all over again.

On the job guns blazing; Dean getting extremely turned on by how fucking hot bad ass Cas was; a smirk spreading on his face knowing he gets to take that home with him.

Cas's amazement as he watched everything Dean did; including taking care of his giant younger brother, so selflessly.

They were happy.

Until everything went dark, they both now had something to lose; each other. The monsters they fought had the perfect advantage; to knock them down; to steal their light.

The angel's would never stand for it; a target placed on them, constant wars to tear them apart. The demons itching to kill an angel to get to a Winchester.

Cas's body laid motionless on the ground; giant angel wings spread out on either side of him.

The curse of loving Dean Winchester; dying tragically, he had learned that from a young age; his love was like toxins consuming every beautiful thing it ever touched.

Dean closes his eyes.

When he opened them there he was sitting across the table from the angel; the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he parted his mouth to speak "I hear ya – Buddy" he utters, letting everything he had dreamed of slip away; as he swallows back the words he would never say.