Ch.1

Telling Cas that he couldn't stay in the bunker and had to go had been one of the harder things he'd had to do. While Dean knew there was a ghost of a point made within Ezekiel's words, he couldn't help but start to doubt if he had made a bad decision. With his brother's condition, what choice did he have? The fact that Ezekiel was the only help, aside from someone who tried to beat Cas' location out of him, went to show how big of dicks that angels actually were. Instead of wanting to help someone, they were more concerned with revenge and fighting for power. Not that Dean should be surprised, he'd learned pretty quickly from the get go how dickish angels were. Now he'd had to tell one of the only ones that wasn't-incredibly bad decision making skills aside-that he had to go. His best friend no less, who was now human and pretty defenseless. It was strange seeing his friend, who he was used to being so badass, trying to figure out the things that humans did on a daily basis. He had at least sent him out with a credit card and set him up with a place to stay, but that didn't really settle him all that much.

Dean looked up with an exasperated expression as a ringtone in the form of 'Pretty Fly For a Whiteguy' declared itself in the studious silence before Garth answered it.

"Yeah man, just got settled in here. This place is sweet….yeah, I hear you brother….mhm…okay, you'll need a stake made from a holly branch…well then, you better bunker down for the night with some salt. Probably want to put it down on glue to make sure they don't blow it away….Yeah they can do that. See ya."

Dean raised an eyebrow at Bobby 2.0. "Glue?"

"Welcome to the 21st century of huntin'."

Dean looked pensive and mouthed the word 'glue' before nodding with a not-bad expression.

"So, you've decided to make base here then?"

"Hey, what person in their right mind would say no to this?"

Dean smiled, "Nice to have you here, man."

"Likewise.", Garth then walked over to him and, by this point having grown accustomed the behavior, accepted the hug. At least it wasn't as awkward as hugging Cupid that one time. Of course, that just reminded him of Cas. 'Well I don't like it.' 'No one likes it.'

Dean had sat down to eat dinner and everyone was all sitting at the table, discussing cases and interesting odds and ends hidden in the pages of the books on the tabletop. Dean pushed his food around on his plate mindlessly as he looked at all of them; Kevin and Charlie geeking out together, Garth and Sam talking about mermaids (yes, mermaids, which were apparently-or used to be-a legit thing) and himself all seated there….but no Cas.

This, of course, was how he had wound up leaving the place he had been able to call home for the first time ever, and had ended up knocking on the door of the small house where Cas was staying.

After getting ready to knock a third time, the door opened to reveal a groggy-eyed Cas in a t-shirt and coral boxers with sushi rolls on them.

"Good morning beautiful.", Dean said in a teasing voice and grinned, adjusting his grip on his bag.

Dean had thought about calling and giving a heads-up, he really had, but seeing Cas' gaping expression had made him glad he hadn't.

"D…Dean?" Castiel squinted at him, questioning what his eyes saw.

"In the flesh.", he gestured to himself. "Mind if I-uh-come in?"

Cas made a noise of acknowledgement and stepped aside to let Dean into the house. Dean stepped into the living room as Cas closed the door behind him. There was a desk in front of a large window to the left with a couple bookshelves lining the walls, a sofa and a couple chairs to the right in front of an old television. A bit further in was a kitchen with a blue countertop, furnished with a newly purchased fridge and stove.

Cas looked at Dean's bags and tilted his head in confusion, "What are you-I don't understand." He squinted as if that would help him comprehend the situation better.

Dean sat down on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter and rubbed a hand over his face.

"Not to impose but uh, I decided I'm going to camp out here until this whole angel business is sorted out. Or at least until Sammy is better. I mean, what kind of friend would I be if I left my favorite former-angel by himself?", Dean grinned at him again.

"I would be flattered if you didn't hold other angels in such low regard.", Cas deadpanned. "But more importantly, wasn't that your home?"

"Like I said, what kind of friend would I be? Man, if something happened to you and there was something I could have done to help, I don't know if I could live with myself. And yeah, I know, 'not my responsibility' but I make it my responsibility." He enunciated, pointing a finger at Cas, "So whether you like it or not, here I am."

"I…do not think I will ever understand humans."

"No one does, and if they say they do, they're lying."

Dean plopped his duffle bag up on top of a dresser in the spare bedroom and opened the top drawer, placing his stuff inside.

The house was one that happened to belong to a late man of letters that they had found the deed to while going through some of the files a couple weeks back. It could use some work, but the windows and doors were tight, the plumbing worked well, and nothing was wrong with the electrical. The slight wear could be remedied with a good cleaning and some paint. It even had a small, fenced off back yard and a porch. Granted said yard had hip-deep high grass that may or may not have had the potential to harbor a chupacabra, but even that could be managed…albeit said possible chupacabra would make the managing somewhat more difficult.

Dean finished filling the drawer and closed it (stalling his thinking for the moment of if it were possible to gank a chupacabra with a lawnmower) before looking up into the attached mirror and jumping harshly, his heartbeat stuttering.

"Cas!" Dean met his eyes in the mirror from where he stood close behind him.

"Ah, my apologies Dean." Cas took a stiff step back.

"We need to put a bell on you or something. I thought that was your angel mojo, but apparently you're like some sort of freaky ninja tax accountant."

Dean stood there for a moment before deciding on something, pulling out his cell and texting Sam.

Sam was eating a bowl of cereal when his phone vibrated across the surface of the table. Pressing his fingertips to the phone he drug it over next to him before furrowing his eyebrows and snorting out a laugh.

"Weirdo."

Dean: Chupacabra vs lawnmower, who do you think would win?

There was a beat of pause before Dean's phone vibrated and the message flashed up.

Sammy: Dude, have you been watching Syfy movies again?

Dean: Bitch

Sammy: Jerk

Authors note: I got an idea for this and I thought it seemed different enough to push out. I don't write often so I'm hoping this goes well, I have a tendency to judge my writing harshly because I can't get an outside view. Main focus is Dean/Cas and a secondary pairing of Crowley/Balthazar (I don't know why I find this pair intriguing…maybe the battle of the accents? Haha). How long will this story be? Not sure! I know what I have planned and the guidelines, but as far as actually writing it out it's hard to tell. I hope you enjoy enough to stick with me!