Hi! I'm Castielle, and this is my first fanfiction so I'd love to have some feedback. I tried my best to keep the boys in character, and I hope I did a good job. I hope you enjoy.

It had been a long day for the both of them. The hunt was supposed to be simple, but then again, wasn't it always? With the weight of the Apocalypse looming over them, Bobby had decided it would be good for the boys to get some air.

"Get you idjits out if the house, at least," Bobby had grumped.

It was a poltergeist, nothing big really. An old house up for sale had been haunted by a malevolent spirit. The boys had assumed it was the father that had killed his family in a rather bloody homicide back in the seventies. Unfortunately, that was not the case, and they had been assaulted by the rather violent ghost of a six year girl. The case had been messy, and it was near midnight when the boys trudged back into the motel room, dirty and sweaty after the hard labor of digging up the grave.

Dean fumbled with the key before pushing the door open. The motel room was grimy, but certainly not the worst the boys had dealt with. Sam flopped back on the bed, closing his eyes as he huffed out in exhaustion.

Dean headed for bathroom with a gruff, "I call first shower."

Sam hummed out an afffirmative so Dean knew that his brother had heard him. The door shut and locked behind him and moments later the water was turned on. Sam stifled a loud yawn when the faint ruffle of wings could be heard. Sam blinked to see that Cas had arrived, probably to speak with Dean.

Castiel wasn't Sam's biggest fan. What with the Apocalypse and the demon blood Sam would be surprised if the angel wanted anything to do with him. After all, he was an abomination in the eyes of heaven. The angel probably only put up with him because of Dean. Still, Cas was an ally and friend of Dean's and they definitely didn't have enough of those.

Sam sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed with a tired, "Hi Cas."

"I'm looking for Dean," The angel ground out.

Sam's lips twitched slightly into a wry smile. Of course.

"He's taking a shower," Sam supplied.

Cas nodded while he silently observed Sam. Sam bit back a sigh as he laid back again.

"You can wait for him here if you want," Sam offered.

"Thank you," the sincerity in the angel's words surprised Sam.

Still caught slightly off gaurd, he replied, "You're welcome."

There was a long silence. Castiel gazed down with the infamous head tilt, watching Sam almost owlishly. Sam closed his eyes, feeling worn out. He was sore and tired and more than anything he just wanted to crash for the next few hours, but Sam knew it would be better to wait until he had showered and gotten all the grime and sweat off of him.

Sam's mind began to wander into the complex relationships between Dean, him, and the angel. He knew things had been difficult with him and his brother, especially after everything with Ruby.

"I don't hate you, Samuel." Cas's voice startled him out of his thoughts.

"What?" Sam sat up, looking at the angel in confusion.

"I don't hate you." The angel repeated, eyeing Sam curiously. "Even under heaven's command I didn't hate you. I merely saw you as a flawed human."

"Who also happpens to be an abomination?" Sam dryly responded.

"You made mistakes, maybe, but you did not deserve the prejudice heaven held against you," Cas countered.

"And that's what the demon blood was? A mistake?" Sam said thickly.

"You may have demon blood in you, but that does not change the fact that you are a good man."

"Castiel, I started the Apocalypse," Sam pointed out.

Castiep sighed heavily. "You and your brother seem to forget the fact that were fourty four seals in question. Whether or not you had killed Lillith that night I am certain heaven would have found a way to free Lucifer."

Sam paused at these words. He had never thought about it like that.

"You are not the only one who has made mistakes under influences beyond your control." Castiel continued. "You are a good person, Samuel, and an even better... friend."

The last word was said tentatively, as if the angel was unsure if it quite defined their rocky relationship. Sam looked at Cas, surprised.

"You think of me as a friend?" Sam asked.

The angel looked uneasy.

"Well, if we're friends you'd better start calling me Sam. I hate the name Samuel." Sam said with a smile, adding teasingly, "Does this mean I should start calling you Cas?"

"I suppose. I still do not understand why Dean does not pronounce the last two syllables of my name."

"It's a nickname. It's his way of accepting you, of bringing you into our little screwed up family." Sam told him.

Cas seemed startled a little at the word family, but in his eyes Sam could see a mixture of several emotions, pain, confusion, and most prominent: longing.

Before Sam could speak up about this, the door opened and Dean exited the bathroom.

"Shower's open, Sammy. Oh, hey Cas." Dean greeted as he noticed the angel.

As Cas returned to his initial objective, Sam watched quietly. It was funny how many things could be revealed in a single conversation.