Nerds of a feather{REQUESTS OPEN}

Expendable

"Face it Castiel. We're both here because we don't matter in the end, we do all the work but they get all the credit."

Cas stared at the Angel in front of him, unfortunately it was one of the most wayward of his brethren he had come across. Her name was Xenophius and she had already slain many angels to prove her point, that Angels were expendable most of all Castiel.

It seemed almost too fitting as the night before Dean had asked Cas to investigate while he and Sam had sat in the room doing research into their killer angel. Needless to say Cas had come back to find them asleep in their beds, much to his annoyance, when he returned.

And earlier that day, when they had split up to search for Xenophius, neither of the boys had seemed to spare the Angel a glance. It was such a shame that Cas hadn't seen all the stares directed towards him by a certain 6' 1" hunter.

Back in the present, Cas stared at the Angel standing in front of him and made his customary offer,

"If you turn yourself in willingly to heavens judgement, then I will not harm you"

"Heavens judgement?! All I want is for you to see how used you are. Brother... I'm helping you"

"Then so be it"

Cas charged straight at Xenophius, blade raised, but the Angel evaded the blade with ease and grabbed Cas's arm, twisting as she whipped around him. She locked his arm behind his back and Cas threw his head back to meet with his opponents nose a sharp crack sounding through the air. Spinning so that he faced Xenophius he was caught off guard as Dean and Sam burst though the doors of the old barn the rouge had been hiding out in.

"Cas!"

Dean yelled as Xenophius punched the other Angel in the face and split open his lip and cheek before tossing him across the room. She then turned to the Winchesters

"Now that your silly pet is out of the way-"

She didn't get any further before Dean slammed his fist into her face, with Sam charging at her from behind. She threw out her arm to the taller brother, who flew across the room and slammed his head into an old rusted shovel, and slumped to the ground unconscious. Whirling to face Dean once more Xenophius barley dodged the blade that nearly pierced her side.

"Cas. Is not our pet you bitch!"

He yelled as he swung again, missing by a mile to her angelic speed and dropping his blade. She had him by his throat and slowly walked towards the wall of the building, pressing deans back into the wood and choking him close to death.

"You don't know... How far he fell when he touched you Dean" she spat his name like poison, "he was mighty. Respected. Until he took one look into those eyes of yours and decided then and there, that Dean was better than heaven. That 'He can be saved'" she pressed deans throat harder. "He begged his superiors to watch over you. To 'make sure the human did his duty' ...please. You corrupt Winchester, and you stole heavens once great seraph from his rightful place in the sky"

Suddenly the crushing grip on deans windpipe eased and he fell to the hay-covered floor barley awake. He saw a flash of blue-white light and heard the thump of a body hitting the floor.

Through hazy eyes he watched as Cas hurried over to him, and gently held Dean as healing hands were place on his forehead. Dean looked into ocean blue eyes for a moment until Cas spoke.

"Are you alright Dean?"

"Yeah.. Yeah I'm good Cas"

He muttered as he pushed himself off the ground, trying to shake away the pleasure his skin had felt at Cas's warm touch.

"Let's get back to the bunker"

He turned away, still not looking at the Angel, who in turn had not stopped looking at Dean.

Once they had managed to shove Sam's concussed form into the back seat the drive home became filled with a tense silence. Finally pulling into their haven, Dean alone helped Sam to his room and laid his brother to sleep off his injuries. Cas had disappeared immediately as the car had pulled into the driveway, he had only stayed in the car to make sure Sam would be cared for if his condition worsened.

Dean pulled his car into the garage and sat in silence for awhile. He thought of Cas, how Cas thought that he was expendable to the Winchesters, or that he was only called when he was needed. His thoughts slowly turned to how much his closest friend had sacrificed for them, for him. And he remembered when he had first seen the Angel.

       ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~
Even though he claimed to have not remembered his exit from hell, in fact he suspected that he shouldn't remember, he could still see what had happened in his minds eye.

It was a day bloodier than he could recall, his victim had pleaded and writhed with their intestines spilling onto the floor, as Dean had cut and sliced his way through his charge. One by one, souls had begged for death before Alistair's prized pupil, the pupil who, even being the twisted soul he was, had managed to save one tiny piece of the hero he had once been. Buried deep within the black-eyed wraith he had become, the real Dean prayed for a savior.

A great noise was heard from all corners of hell and Dean had stopped his work to see what the commotion was all about. Turning, a white light had shone down on his ruined soul and he felt... Cleansed. It was Castiel, even in his true form his "eyes" remained a piercing blue and, with an angelic hand, he took hold of Dean to raise him from his torment. Alistair had fought to take his student back from Castiel, but failed as the Angel tenderly held this poor, righteous mans souls in his arms and carried him away.

Dean remembered how he had never seen anything more beautiful than his Angel, how he had never felt so safe in anyone's arms. And then.. He had woken up inside a line box six feet under.
       ~~~~~~~~~~***~~~~~~~~~~
Dean left his car and leaned against the side of the smooth machine. He noticed the slight flap of wings and said,

"Hey Cas"

Looking up to see the Angel standing in front of him. He straightened up and spoke again

"You are not expendable. I don't care what that evil bitch told you I have never though of you as someone who could be thrown away."

The Angel smiled, relieved at knowing that the human he... Loved, knew his worth. Even if it was only his worth as a friend.

"Thank you Dean. You don't know how much that means to me"

He turned to leave but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder. Dean turned Cas around to face him and brought their lips together with a pull of his hand. They froze for a moment before their mouths began to move in earnest, lips warm and lungs burning, they separated for a single shared breath. Dean turned Cas once more, pinning him to the side of the impala as they began once more, tongues and teeth gently exploring the others mouth. Once they broke away again Cas murmured,

"I knew there was a reason I couldn't take my eyes off your body when I first saw you in that barn"

"Thank God for that... Castiel"

Cas smiled at how perfect his full name sounded coming from deans lovely mouth and pulled them back together for a long, long time.